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
Traditional job boards require recruiters to sift through volumes of applications, many of which may not meet basic qualifications.
—
Audrey Payne, CNBC, 29 May 2026
That impact was visible throughout the beach Thursday as students sifted through sand searching for cigarette butts, plastic fragments, bottle caps, and other debris often overlooked by beachgoers.
—Daily News, 29 May 2026
There are also programs to help you with social listening, automate surveys for audience feedback and sift through comments on your posts.
—John Hall, Forbes.com, 29 May 2026
News footage from the scene showed crews sifting through the debris.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sift
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Audrey Payne, CNBC, 29 May 2026
That impact was visible throughout the beach Thursday as students sifted through sand searching for cigarette butts, plastic fragments, bottle caps, and other debris often overlooked by beachgoers.
—Daily News, 29 May 2026
There are also programs to help you with social listening, automate surveys for audience feedback and sift through comments on your posts.
—John Hall, Forbes.com, 29 May 2026
News footage from the scene showed crews sifting through the debris.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sift
Cite this Entry
“Sift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sift. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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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