sift

Universal Words verb 1 [VN] to put flour or some other fine substance through a SIEVE/SIFTER: Sift the flour into a bowl. 2 ~ (through) sth to examine sth very carefully in order to decide what is important or useful or to find sth important: [VN] We will sift every scrap of evidence. * Computers are being used to sift the information. * [V] Crash investigators have been sifting through the wreckage of the aircraft. 3 [VN] ~ sth (out) from sth to separate sth from a group of things: He sifted the relevant data from the rest. * She looked quickly through the papers, sifting out from the pile anything that looked interesting. PHRASALVERBS sift sth<->out 1 to remove sth that you do not want from a substance by putting it through a SIEVE: Put the flour through a sieve to sift out the lumps. 2 to separate sth, usually sth you do not want, from a group of things: We need to sift out the applications that have no chance of succeeding.