sifted through
Searched piece by piece
To sift through something is to examine it carefully, sorting the useful from the useless.
The image comes from passing material through a sieve to separate fine particles from coarse ones.
You sift through evidence, emails, job applications, or the wreckage of a building: Investigators sifted through the debris for clues.
The process implies patience and thoroughness—there's a lot to get through, and not all of it matters.
- searchedLooked for systematically
- pored overStudied with close attention
- analyzedStudied methodically for meaning
- screenedExamined for suitability
- examinedLooked at closely
filtered · winnowed · sieved · sorted · sorted out · separated · parsed · picked apart · pondered · explored · dug into · contemplated · extracted · categorized · strained · fine-tooth comb · scrutinized · investigated
sifted throughskimmed
Read superficially
glossed over · flipped through · browsed · leafed through · speed-read
sift, sifted, sifting, sifts, sifter, sifters, through, thorough, thoroughly