godan verb (-u), transitive verb
Literal use: passing dry ingredients through a sieve to remove lumps or separate particles.
See also: 篩に掛ける
小麦粉を篩ってからケーキを作る。
I sift the flour before making the cake.
godan verb (-u), transitive verb
select; sort out; eliminate; pick out
Figurative use: carefully choosing or filtering people, ideas, or options, often from a larger set.
応募者の中から適任者を篩う。
We select suitable candidates from among the applicants.
可能性を篩って、最も現実的な案を選んだ。
We sorted out the possibilities and chose the most realistic plan.