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
The emergence of artificial intelligence models, such as Microsoft’s Aurora AI project, are providing powerful tools for sifting through massive datasets and delivering more precise storm projections.
—
Jim Foerster, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
In any case, their rankings (along with the public’s ratings from Yelp, Tripadvisor and similar sites) were helpful in sifting through Kansas City’s cornucopia of museums to determine a top 10 for your summer consideration.
—Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2025
Photos from The Associated Press showed homes leveled as rescuers sifted through rubble.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 25 May 2025
Residents sift through wreckage Some neighborhoods in London, the Laurel County seat, saw total devastation -- homes blown away in the middle of the night, with residents huddling in hallways and basements.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sift
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Jim Foerster, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
In any case, their rankings (along with the public’s ratings from Yelp, Tripadvisor and similar sites) were helpful in sifting through Kansas City’s cornucopia of museums to determine a top 10 for your summer consideration.
—Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2025
Photos from The Associated Press showed homes leveled as rescuers sifted through rubble.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 25 May 2025
Residents sift through wreckage Some neighborhoods in London, the Laurel County seat, saw total devastation -- homes blown away in the middle of the night, with residents huddling in hallways and basements.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 17 May 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 10 Jun. 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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