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
Of course, there were many items to sift through, but his eye was immediately drawn toward a red leather jewelry box that certainly looked well-loved, but undoubtedly luxurious.
—
Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025
While sifting through the best Amazon Prime Day deals.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2025
There is clearly still work to be done to upgrade this roster, and Canucks hockey operations leadership will surely spend the summer exploring their options and sifting through the free-agent bargain bin in search of further reinforcements.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 11 July 2025
But here’s what’s happening now: Instead of sifting through 10-plus links, users just want one good answer straight away.
—Murad Salikhov, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sift
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Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025
While sifting through the best Amazon Prime Day deals.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2025
There is clearly still work to be done to upgrade this roster, and Canucks hockey operations leadership will surely spend the summer exploring their options and sifting through the free-agent bargain bin in search of further reinforcements.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 11 July 2025
But here’s what’s happening now: Instead of sifting through 10-plus links, users just want one good answer straight away.
—Murad Salikhov, Forbes.com, 11 July 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 24 Jul. 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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