sifting

noun

sift·​ing ˈsif-tiŋ How to pronounce sifting (audio)
1
: the act or process of sifting
2
siftings plural : sifted material

Examples of sifting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Relatedly, coders can help develop the algorithms that will do that sifting. Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2024 Subsequent sifting of data of the Cassini mission, which ended in 2017, has only added to the curiosity of what lies beneath. Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2023 Still, from this tedious sifting the researchers have gleaned a botanical surprise: one of the most common Cerén grass species, used by the ancient villagers for thatch, is extinct in the region today. Mary Roach, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 And while some enjoy the treasure-hunt vibe of spending a Saturday afternoon sifting through items at their local Goodwill store, others might be scared off by the time investment required to do that. Laura Daily, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2023 Recipes that do require sifting are more likely to be delicate, airy desserts like angel food cake. Zoe Denenberg, Southern Living, 11 Sep. 2023 This is a hire of the court and the sifting and winnowing of candidates should include court members. Jack Kelly and Matthew Defour, Journal Sentinel, 30 Aug. 2023 Since then, careful sifting has yielded bones from a wide range of local animal species. Franz Lidz, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023 Though sifting has been used in other papers, it had never been tried on the three-term progression problem. Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 21 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sifting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sifting was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near sifting

Cite this Entry

“Sifting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sifting. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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