sift

verb

ˈsift 

sifted; sifting; sifts

transitive verb

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 through

sift through a pile of old letters

3

: to scatter by or as if by sifting

sift sugar on a cake

intransitive verb

1

: to use a sieve

2

: to pass or fall as if through a sieve

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

Naima Coster sifts through female friendships to uncover enduring truths. — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026

When the Southern Living editorial staff began sifting through decades of magazine archives— dating back to our first year of publication in 1966—for an exciting new project, everyone was assigned a few years-worth of issues to comb through. — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 6 July 2026

King informs me that in the early days of the house's conservation, a specialist sifted through 29 layers of paint to find the same hue used in Franklin's day. — Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026

Emergency services were sifting through the rubble of what used to be a nine-story building on the left bank of the Dnipro River that bisects the city as the sun rose and fires flared up around it. — Gleb Garanich, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English siftan; akin to Old English sife sieve

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for sift

• clift
• drift
• gift
• lift
• miffed
• rift
• shift
• shrift
• sniffed
• thrift
• tift
• adrift

Kids Definition

sift

verb

ˈsift 

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

sift evidence

sift through a pile of papers

sifter noun