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
Meanwhile, restoration crews began sifting through the remains of Heidi’s house.
—
Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
Shop these milky green picks to emulate Stewart’s vintage jadeite collection without spending hours sifting through antique stores.
—Maggie Horton, People.com, 8 Feb. 2025
Thursday’s announcement comes on the eve of Kering revealing its fourth-quarter and full-year results on Feb. 11 and analysts are gearing up to sift through the numbers.
—Luisa Zargani, WWD, 6 Feb. 2025
The Canadian retailer is notorious for hosting epic sales, but also for the sheer number of picks shoppers have to sift through in SSENSE's vast catalogue of clothes and decor.
—Leah Muncy, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for sift 
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Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
Shop these milky green picks to emulate Stewart’s vintage jadeite collection without spending hours sifting through antique stores.
—Maggie Horton, People.com, 8 Feb. 2025
Thursday’s announcement comes on the eve of Kering revealing its fourth-quarter and full-year results on Feb. 11 and analysts are gearing up to sift through the numbers.
—Luisa Zargani, WWD, 6 Feb. 2025
The Canadian retailer is notorious for hosting epic sales, but also for the sheer number of picks shoppers have to sift through in SSENSE's vast catalogue of clothes and decor.
—Leah Muncy, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for sift
Dictionary Entries Near sift
Cite this Entry
“Sift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sift. Accessed 19 Feb. 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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