sifted; sifting; sifts
1
a
: to put through a sieve
sift flour
b
: to separate or separate out by or as if by putting through a sieve
2
: to go through especially to sort out what is useful or valuable
sifted the evidence
—often used with throughsift through a pile of old letters
3
: to scatter by or as if by sifting
sift sugar on a cake
sifter
noun
Examples of sift in a Sentence
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl.
Sift the lumps from the sugar.
The police sifted the evidence in hopes of finding a clue.
The police sifted for clues.
The lawyer sifted through the hundreds of pages of testimony.
Firefighters sifted through the debris.
Recent Examples on the Web
To ensure compliance, their technology digs deeper than basic IP address recognition to monitor the exact place someone tries to place a wager, sifting through real-time data from sources such as GPS coordinates, cell phone towers, WiFi access points and Bluetooth beacons.
—
Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Rather than sift through the multitude of airpark websites, enthusiasts can filter available fly-in real estate to match their preference via sources like Trade-a-Plane, an aviation marketplace that’s logged everything online from aircraft parts to services since 1997.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
—Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Oct. 2025
Off the southern coast of Iran, fishermen hauled in their catch and started sifting through it.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sift
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Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Rather than sift through the multitude of airpark websites, enthusiasts can filter available fly-in real estate to match their preference via sources like Trade-a-Plane, an aviation marketplace that’s logged everything online from aircraft parts to services since 1997.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
—Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Oct. 2025
Off the southern coast of Iran, fishermen hauled in their catch and started sifting through it.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sift
Cite this Entry
“Sift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sift. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sift
verb1
a
: to put through a sieve
sift flour
b
: to separate or separate out by or as if by putting through a sieve
2
: to go through especially to sort out what is useful or valuable
sift evidence
sift through a pile of papers
sifter
noun
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