sift

sift something from something

to remove something from something by sifting. Fran sifted all the impurities from the flour before using it. Timmy sifted all the leaves from the sand in his sandbox.

sift something out of something and sift something out

to get rid of something in something else by sifting. Dan sifted the impurities out of the flour. Walter sifted out the foreign matter.

See also: out

sift something through something

to make something pass through something such as a sieve. she sifted the powdered sugar through a strainer. Please sift the soil through this screen and watch for bits of pottery.

See also: through

sift through something

to examine all parts of something. The fire inspector sifted through the rubble, looking for clues to the start of the fire. We sifted through all the papers in the old trunk, but we did not find what we were looking for.

See also: through