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.
In that case, the researchers used a technique called sieving, which essentially sifts out nonprime numbers, leaving only primes left to test. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026 The panel has been tasked with sifting through more than 80 witnesses and 300 exhibits, the judge said. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026 Staff said the office sifted through the data for 2022 and 2025 and are still working on 2023 and 2024. — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Because no human can sift through thousands of XRD patterns a day, the company is developing machine learning algorithms to use XRD and measure the magnetic properties of materials to speed detection of new superconductors. — Alan Patterson, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Sep. 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 7 Sep. 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

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sift

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