sift

verb

ˈsift 

sifted; sifting; sifts

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

After sifting through thousands of submissions, 60 incredible photographs were selected as finalists for the 22nd annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest. —Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025

Prosecutors were still sifting through data and expecting more evidence from the Texas Rangers, according to the San Antonio Report. —Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2025

According to his team, Mayo has a deep understanding of the Columbia River, sifted through historical archives, and studied the Martin case to hone in on a small area of the river. —Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025

However, sifting through user reviews and actual, hands-on testing prove that only some of these services are telling the truth. —Rowan Briggs, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for sift

• clift
• drift
• gift
• lift
• miffed
• rift
• shift
• shrift
• sniffed
• thrift
• tift
• adrift

Kids Definition

sift

verb

ˈsift 

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