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
In a hulking office building with hallway wallpaper meant to evoke binary code, forensic analysts sift through the digital footprints of online criminals, including sextorters.
—
Sarah Maslin Nir, New York Times, 15 May 2024
Then the team began sifting through matches to find the suspect’s most recent common ancestor.
—Marisa Kwiatkowski, USA TODAY, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for sift 
Sarah Maslin Nir, New York Times, 15 May 2024
Then the team began sifting through matches to find the suspect’s most recent common ancestor.
—Marisa Kwiatkowski, USA TODAY, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for sift
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sift.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sift
Cite this Entry
“Sift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sift. Accessed 20 May. 2024.
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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