sift

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

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

Families sifted through waterlogged debris Sunday and stepped inside empty cabins at Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer campripped apart by flash floods that washed homes off their foundations and killed at least 82 people in central Texas. —Brit Morse, Fortune, 7 July 2025

Detectives sifted through years of social media posts, noticing the growing tension between Skylar and her friends. —Alex Gurley, People.com, 6 July 2025

Derringer and Clarke have to sift through a few decoys — including the president's own chief of staff, Simone Bradshaw (Sarah Niles) — before realizing Gradov's insider was the vice president, Elizabeth Kirk (Carla Gugino). —Randall Colburn, EW.com, 3 July 2025

Texas wildlife officials are increasingly worried about its presence in the wetlands of the Rio Grande Valley after sifting through dozens of traps and nets in search of potential threats, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which originally reported the issue. —Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

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

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