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
With help from a few contributors, testers, and dermatologists, our editors have sifted through dozens of SPF products, narrowing down which formulas are truly the best for dark skin.
—
Danielle Jackson, Glamour, 25 Apr. 2025
Investors also sifted through earnings from a packed slate of companies on Wednesday, including AT&T (T), which rose 0.9% after beating Wall Street expectations.
—Kevin Ryan, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, sift together flour and 3/4 cup of the sugar.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2025
Billboard statisticians sifted through Gomez’s 45 Hot 100 hits to determine the 20 biggest.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sift
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Danielle Jackson, Glamour, 25 Apr. 2025
Investors also sifted through earnings from a packed slate of companies on Wednesday, including AT&T (T), which rose 0.9% after beating Wall Street expectations.
—Kevin Ryan, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, sift together flour and 3/4 cup of the sugar.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2025
Billboard statisticians sifted through Gomez’s 45 Hot 100 hits to determine the 20 biggest.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 16 Apr. 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 7 May. 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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