sift

verb

ˈsift How to pronounce sift (audio)
sifted; sifting; sifts
Synonyms of sift

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
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.
Their job is to sift through the noise and the questionable fluff. — Chintan Shah, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 Any far-future geologist sifting through sediment cores will detect a thin dusting of radioactive fallout as a precise time stamp of a world forever changed—an inexpungible technofossil boundary signaling humanity’s broader dominance. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026 Philadelphia Police More than 100 FBI agents and analysts from across the country began sifting through more than 1 million pieces of video and photographic evidence. — Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Their project, called Black Hole Hunters, is looking for volunteers with a computer and a few spare minutes to sift through troves of data gathered by a NASA space telescope. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sift

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of sift was before the 12th century

Rhymes for sift

See All Rhymes for sift

Browse Nearby Words

sifrei torah
sift
siftage
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sift. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

sift

verb
ˈsift How to pronounce sift (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on sift

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