sift

verb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The next section breaks down the absolute fundamentals of baking, like how to use parchment paper and sift flour. Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 30 Sep. 2025 Researchers then sifted through the trail camera photos, identified the animals and analyzed their frequency, temporal patterns and other data. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025 One of the most frustrating parts of an album listening experience is sifting through the duds to find the jewels, who wants to do that after already waiting seven years? Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2025 The app had sifted Zoe’s personal information, bundled it with her query, and sent it to Claude. Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sift

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of sift was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sift. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

sift

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
sift evidence
sift through a pile of papers
sifter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sift

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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