sift

verb

1. move as if through a sieve; “The soldiers sifted through the woods”

   Less specific

   • travel, go, move, locomote

2. separate by passing through a sieve or other straining device to separate out coarser elements; “sift the flour”

   Synonyms

   • sieve, strain

   Less specific

   • separate

   More specific

   • rice, resift, riddle, screen, winnow, fan

   See also

   • sieve out, pick over

3. check and sort carefully; “sift the information”

   Synonyms

   • sieve

   Less specific

   • analyze, analyse, study, examine, canvass, canvas

4. distinguish and separate out; “sift through the job candidates”

   Synonyms

   • sieve

   Less specific

   • choose, take, select, pick out