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
Drizzle strained raspberry jam over the berries and sift powdered sugar over the whole dish.
—
Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Dec. 2025
Their native dirt pile, which sits atop Mason Mountain, is brought down to the water flume for people of all ages to sift through.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 20 Dec. 2025
While reporters are still sifting through all of the documents, here are five initial takeaways from what was published.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 19 Dec. 2025
There, scientists sifted through the encrusted materials and identified, photographed and collected each individual specimen.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sift
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Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Dec. 2025
Their native dirt pile, which sits atop Mason Mountain, is brought down to the water flume for people of all ages to sift through.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 20 Dec. 2025
While reporters are still sifting through all of the documents, here are five initial takeaways from what was published.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 19 Dec. 2025
There, scientists sifted through the encrusted materials and identified, photographed and collected each individual specimen.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 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 26 Dec. 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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