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general::
Phrase(s): 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., Phrase(s): 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.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs