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

Demos were presented each Thursday afternoon, and Lereya says a small team sifted through 127 submissions, allowing dozens to be presented to the broader employee base. —John Kell, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025

To build the catalog, Bickel's team used artificial intelligence to sift through the archives of ESA's Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) spacecraft, analyzing how each dust devil shifted between consecutive frames to calculate its speed and direction. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025

Finding the perfect one—one that doesn’t feel like a potato sack or scratch your skin—often takes a lot of trial and error, but the easiest way to sift through the endless options and find your next favorite sweater is by checking out what real shoppers have to say. —Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 8 Oct. 2025

Our fun picks include an $11 sand and water sifting funnel for beach days, a toy rocket launcher, and a football toss game that's over 30% off. —Gabrielle Applebury, Parents, 8 Oct. 2025

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