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sort

/soɹt/
nounverb

SORT meaning: a general type or an act of sorting; the four tiles score 4 points in Scrabble.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Noun 4 meanings

  1. A general type.

  2. A person evaluated in a certain way.

    “good sort, bad sort”

  3. A good-looking woman.

  4. An act of sorting.

    “I had a sort of my cupboard.”

Verb 4 meanings

  1. To separate items into different categories according to certain criteria that determine their sorts.

    “Sort the letters in those bags into a separate pile for each language.”

  2. To arrange into some sequence, usually numerically, alphabetically or chronologically.

    “Sort those bells into a row in ascending sequence of pitch.”

  3. To conjoin; to put together in distribution; to class.

  4. To join or associate with others, especially with others of the same kind or species; to agree.

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

From Middle English sort, soort, sorte (cognate Dutch soort, German Sorte, Danish sort, Swedish sort), borrowed from Old French sorte (“class, kind”), from Latin sortem, accusative form of sors (“lot, fate, share, rank, category”).

Similar and opposite words

SORT is an everyday four-letter word with a low tile value and several distinct senses. It can name a general kind or category, and it can refer to the act of arranging things. For word-game play, the useful details are its four one-point tiles, four anagrams and a surprisingly broad set of one-letter neighbours.

SORT meaning and score at a glance

  • SORT has four letters, and S, O, R and T are each worth 1 Scrabble point.
  • Its total face value is 4 points before any board-square bonuses.
  • The word has four letter rearrangements: ROTS, TORS, ROST and ORTS.
  • Changing one letter produces 17 recorded neighbours, including PORT, SOFT and FORT.
  • SORT rhymes with 12 listed words, including SHORT, SPORT and REPORT.

What does SORT mean?

SORT can mean a general type or kind: a phrase such as “that sort of problem” uses it to group something by category. The same spelling also names an act of sorting, so context tells you whether SORT means a category or an action.

A separate sense describes a person evaluated in a particular way. That flexible meaning helps explain why SORT appears in ordinary phrases as well as word-game racks; the spelling stays the same while the surrounding words make the intended sense clear.

In Scrabble, the score comes from four ordinary one-point tiles rather than a premium letter. A double-word or triple-word square can raise the total, but the base value remains 4.

What words connect to SORT?

The four anagrams use exactly the same letters: ROTS, TORS, ROST and ORTS. ROTS is the most familiar-looking rearrangement; the others are less likely to come to mind during a timed turn. Keep the uncommon forms in view when your rack contains O, R, S and T.

PORT, SOFT and FORT are clear examples among SORT’s 17 one-letter neighbours. Other recorded changes include SORE and SOOT, while forms such as DORT and SORD are much less familiar. The count is a word-game connection, not a promise that every form appears in every game’s dictionary.

For a rhyme clue, SORT shares the “ort” ending with SHORT, SPORT, PORT and COMFORT. The SORT meaning is separate from those sound matches: rhyming words share an ending sound, not a definition or necessarily the same tile pattern.

Rhymes with sort

All rhymes

One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest

Questions people ask

How many points is SORT worth in Scrabble?
SORT is worth 4 points before board bonuses. S, O, R and T each carry a 1-point tile value, so the four letters add to 4. A premium letter or word square can change the final turn score, but not the word’s base value.
What are the anagrams of SORT?
The four listed anagrams are ROTS, TORS, ROST and ORTS. They use the same S, O, R and T tiles in different orders. ROTS is the most recognizable rearrangement; check your game’s word list before relying on less familiar forms.
Which words are one letter away from SORT?
SORT has 17 recorded one-letter neighbours, including PORT, SOFT, FORT, SORE and SOOT. Each changes one letter while keeping the other three in place. Some of the full set are uncommon, so the neighbour count does not guarantee acceptance in every game.

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