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Meaning & use

running like a sieve

phrase·Everydayinformal

Last updated

UK/ˌrʌnɪŋ laɪk ə ˈsɪv/
US/ˌrʌnɪŋ laɪk ə ˈsɪv/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phraseinformal

    Losing liquid or letting liquid through very easily, because of many small holes or gaps.

    Grammar: Used after be or another linking verb: the bucket was running like a sieve. It describes the thing that leaks, not the person using it.

    Patterns

    • something is running like a sieve
    • something was running like a sieve

    My old umbrella is running like a sieve — I got soaked walking home.

    The boat was running like a sieve after it hit the rocks, and we had to bail out the water.

  2. phrasefixed phraseinformalfigurative

    Failing to keep information secret, so that news or details escape quickly.

    Grammar: Used of groups, offices or systems that cannot hold secrets; it takes no object.

    Patterns

    • something is running like a sieve
    • an organization is running like a sieve

    Since the new manager left, the whole department has been running like a sieve.

    Their security team was running like a sieve, and the story reached the press within a day.

Common combinations

be running like a sieve
The watering can is running like a sieve, so most of the water lands on my feet.
the roof is running like a sieve
After the storm, the roof was running like a sieve and we put buckets everywhere.
a bucket running like a sieve
He carried a bucket that was running like a sieve, leaving a wet trail behind him.
running like a sieve with holes
The tent was running like a sieve with holes, so we slept in the car instead.

Synonyms and how they differ

leaking
Leaking simply states that liquid is escaping; running like a sieve suggests many holes and a fast, unstoppable flow.
porous
Porous is a neutral, technical word for a material full of tiny holes; running like a sieve is vivid and informal.
full of holes
Full of holes describes the object itself, while running like a sieve describes what it is doing right now.

Opposites

watertightsealed

Word family

sieve noun
a kitchen tool with a mesh or holes, used for separating solids from liquid or lumps from powder
sift verb
to put flour or sand through a sieve, or to examine things carefully to separate them

Commonly confused: running like a sieve or leaking like a sieve? running like a sieve or running like clockwork?

running like a sieve vs leaking like a sieve

This is a very common variant with the same meaning; running like a sieve is the fixed form, and 'leaking like a sieve' is also acceptable in speech.

running like a sieve vs running like clockwork

This sounds similar but means the opposite: something working smoothly and on time, with no problems at all.

Practice

The old rowing boat was ______, so we had to empty the water out every few minutes.

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