sieve - strain - filter - screen - sort - winnow - sift through
To sift means to pass a substance, often a dry ingredient like flour or sand, through a sieve or similar device in order to remove lumps, separate finer particles from coarser ones, or aerate the material. In cooking, sifting helps achieve an even texture and proper mixing of ingredients. Beyond physical separation, the verb is also used figuratively: to sift information, evidence, or data means to examine it carefully and systematically, often in order to find something specific or to distinguish what is important from what is not.