slug it out
fight it out
To have a strong verbal or physical battle with someone; to contest something most vigorously.
The two contenders for the lightweight boxing championship were slugging it out in the ring.
The two candidates for Congress were slugging it out on radio and on television.
smell out
sniff out
ferret out
To hunt or drive from hiding; to bring out into the open; search for and find.
Jane smelled out the boys' secret hiding place in the woods.
John ferreted out the answer to the question in the library.
smoke out
To force out with smoke.
The boys smoked a squirrel out of a hollow tree.
The farmer tried to smoke some gophers out of their burrows.
To find out the facts about.
It took the reporter three weeks to smoke out the whole story.
smoke-out
A successful conclusion of an act of investigative journalism revealing some long-kept secrets.
Journalist Bob Woodward was the hero of the Watergate smoke-out.
snap out of
To change quickly from a bad habit, mood, or feeling to a better one. Often used with it.
Mary was unhappy when her fiance abandoned her, but she snapped out of it when she met a new young man.
The coach told the lazy player to snap out of it.
sort out
To alphabetize; arrange in numerical order.
The secretary helped Professor Brown sort out his numerous index cards.
To clarify.
"Help me sort out these bills," she begged her husband.
sound out
To try to find out how a person feels about something usually by careful questions.
Alfred sounded out his boss about a day off from his job.
When you see the coach, sound him out about my chances of getting on the basketball team.
spaced out
Having gaps in one's train of thought, confused, incoherent; resembling the behavior of someone who is under the influence of drugs.
Joe's been acting funny lately - spaced out, you might say.