sift

1 of 2

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

sifter

2 of 2

noun

sift·​er

-tə(r)

plural -s

: one that sifts: such as

a

: a device or utensil like a sieve but usually of finer mesh for winnowing or refining powdered or granulated substances (such as flour) and more often with a contrivance (such as a rotator) to aid the action of sifting

sometimes : sieve

b

: shaker

also : the perforated top of a shaker

c

: a machine used in flour milling to separate particles of ground grain according to size by running them through sieves of increasing degrees of fineness arranged one above the other so that the coarsest is on top

d

: a worker who sifts cut tobacco on a riddle

Examples of sift in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

The California rapper-producer’s new album sifts through an eclectic pileup of influences with X-ray vision, exposing his artistic process and still keeping it breezy. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 29 July 2026

Federal prosecutors have sifted through tens of thousands of messages and documents. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 28 July 2026

This stylish space is perfect for warm-weather dining, with comfy booths, jungle ferns and breeze blocks sifting in the fresh air. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 28 July 2026

Paige has even had to sift through the DMs of men shooting their shot with her mom, who at last check was still married to her dad, a former University of Pittsburgh football player. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English siftan; akin to Old English sife sieve

First Known Use

Verb

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