| Main Entry: | sift |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | take out residue; remove impurities |
Synonyms: |
analyze, clean, colander, comb, delve into, dig into, drain, evaluate, examine, explore, fathom, filter, go into, go through, grade, inquire, investigate, look into, pan, part, pore over, probe, prospect, purify, riddle, screen, scrutinize, search, separate, sieve, size, sort, strain, winnow |
| Notes: | a selective or purifying process can be called a sieve - and sift means 'to pass through a sieve' |
Antonyms: |
put in |
| Main Entry: | canvass |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | poll; discuss issues |
Synonyms: |
agitate, analyze, apply, argue, campaign, check, check over, consult, debate, dispute, electioneer, examine, inspect, investigate, review, run, scan, scrutinize, sift, solicit, study, survey, ventilate |
| Notes: | canvas is the noun (fabric etc.) and canvass is generally a verb (to solicit, question) - though a canvass can be an examination of pros and cons |
| Main Entry: | comb |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | search by ransacking |
Synonyms: |
beat, beat the bushes, examine, finecomb, forage, go through with fine-tooth comb, grub, hunt, inspect, investigate, leave no stone unturned, look high and low, probe, rake, ransack, rummage, scour, screen, scrutinize, search high heaven, sift, sweep, turn inside out, turn upside down |
| Main Entry: | cull |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | pick out for reason |
Synonyms: |
choose, discriminate, elect, extract, glean, mark, opt for, optate, pluck, prefer, select, sift, single out, take, thin, thin out, winnow |
| Main Entry: | delve |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | dig into task, action |
Synonyms: |
burrow, dig, dredge, examine, excavate, explore, ferret out, go into, gouge out, inquire, investigate, jump into, leave no stone unturned, look into, probe, prospect, ransack, really get into, research, rummage, scoop out, search, seek, shovel, sift, spade, trowel, turn inside out, unearth |
| Main Entry: | dig |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | delve into; hollow out |
Synonyms: |
bore, break up, bulldoze, burrow, cat, channel, clean, concave, deepen, depress, dig down, discover, dredge, drill, drive, enter, excavate, exhume, fork out, go into, gouge, grub, harvest, hoe, investigate, mine, penetrate, pierce, pit, probe, produce, quarry, root, root out, rout, sap, scoop, scoop out, search, shovel, sift, spade, till, tunnel, turn over, uncover, undermine, unearth |
Antonyms: |
fill |
| Main Entry: | dig |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | investigate; discover |
Synonyms: |
bring to light, come across, come up with, delve, dig down, expose, extricate, find, go into, inquire, look into, probe, prospect, research, retrieve, root, search, search high and low, shake down, sift, turn inside out, turn upside down, uncover, unearth |
| Main Entry: | discriminate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | differentiate, distinguish |
Synonyms: |
assess, collate, compare, contradistinguish, contrast, difference, discern, discrepate, evaluate, extricate, judge, know, know what's what, make out, note, perceive, remark, segregate, separate, sever, severalize, sift, specify, split hairs, tell apart, tell the difference |
Antonyms: |
confuse, mix up |
| Main Entry: | discuss |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | talk over with another |
Synonyms: |
altercate, argue, bounce off, canvass, compare notes, confabulate, confer, consider, consult with, contend, contest, converse, debate, deliberate, descant, discept, discourse about, dispute, dissert, dissertate, examine, exchange views on, explain, figure, get together, go into, groupthink, hash over, hold forth, jaw, kick about, knock around, moot, put heads together, reason about, review, sift, take up, thrash out, toss around, ventilate, weigh |
Antonyms: |
be quiet |
| Main Entry: | distinguish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | tell the difference |
Synonyms: |
analyze, ascertain, categorize, characterize, classify, collate, decide, demarcate, determinate, determine, diagnose, diagnosticate, differentiate, discriminate, divide, estimate, extricate, figure out, finger*, identify, individualize, individuate, judge, know, label, make out, mark, mark off, name, part, pinpoint, place, qualify, recognize, select, separate, set apart, set off, sift, signalize, single out, singularize, sort out, specify, spot, tag, tell apart, tell between, tell from |