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 61-year-old loves the hunt, and sifting through old belongings and hidden gems is what keeps him going.
—
Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2025
These experiments came after a deep-learning model sifted through possibilities to find high-probability candidates, a definitive transformation from brute-force searches typically favored in the past.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2025
Using a fine-mesh strainer, sift the gram flour into the bowl and stir to coat.
—Romy Gill, Saveur, 22 Oct. 2025
Crystal tables were especially popular, drawing customers to sift through bowls of sparkling stones.
—Sonia Mankame, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sift
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Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2025
These experiments came after a deep-learning model sifted through possibilities to find high-probability candidates, a definitive transformation from brute-force searches typically favored in the past.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2025
Using a fine-mesh strainer, sift the gram flour into the bowl and stir to coat.
—Romy Gill, Saveur, 22 Oct. 2025
Crystal tables were especially popular, drawing customers to sift through bowls of sparkling stones.
—Sonia Mankame, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 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 24 Oct. 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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