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
Forensic crews were seen sifting through the soil around the house, per The Sun.
—
Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026
In its four-page closing statement, the Justice Department emphasized that career antitrust regulators — not political appointees — had performed a rigorous review, sifting through some two million documents the government received from dozens of sources, including third-party organizations.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Although peak performance continues to improve, the models also churn out copious amounts of garbage as a by-product, requiring heroic interventions to sift sense from slop.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 10 June 2026
No longer in the mode of hoarding futures and accumulating options, General Manager Pat Verbeek and his staff will now need to sift through their stockpile.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sift
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Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026
In its four-page closing statement, the Justice Department emphasized that career antitrust regulators — not political appointees — had performed a rigorous review, sifting through some two million documents the government received from dozens of sources, including third-party organizations.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Although peak performance continues to improve, the models also churn out copious amounts of garbage as a by-product, requiring heroic interventions to sift sense from slop.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 10 June 2026
No longer in the mode of hoarding futures and accumulating options, General Manager Pat Verbeek and his staff will now need to sift through their stockpile.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sift
Cite this Entry
“Sift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sift. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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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