sort through (something)

sort through (something)

To examine or investigate the contents of something and organize or arrange them in some manner. I want you to sort through all the junk in this closet before you go to college and get rid of anything you don't want me to save. We spent the night sorting through old photographs my grandmother had left behind.See also: sort, through

sort through

v. To go through some container or collection and classify or arrange the contents, especially when searching: I sorted through the stack of mail looking for the phone bill. We sorted through the box of photos for a picture of the dog.See also: sort, through