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 no booster priority point system in place like schools with big-time football and basketball programs, Tritons officials had to sift through orders on a case-by-case basis.
—
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025
These rumblings were joined by other seismic activity common in this part of the world, making the scientists realize that sifting through these geologic noises wasn’t going to be easy.
—Darren Orf, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2025
That all-in swing blew up in their faces, and they're left to sift through the wreckage this offseason.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
This included hundreds of hours of audio and video recordings, which were difficult to sift through.
—Charles Ornstein, ProPublica, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sift
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025
These rumblings were joined by other seismic activity common in this part of the world, making the scientists realize that sifting through these geologic noises wasn’t going to be easy.
—Darren Orf, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2025
That all-in swing blew up in their faces, and they're left to sift through the wreckage this offseason.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
This included hundreds of hours of audio and video recordings, which were difficult to sift through.
—Charles Ornstein, ProPublica, 13 Mar. 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 28 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share