to put flour, sugar, etc. through a sieve or similar object in order to remove large pieces or lumps, to examine something thoroughly in order to separate out what is valuable or useful from what is not

sift the wheat from the chaff, sift through the ashes, sift one's way

sift out, sift through, sift something from something

Formal and Informal Expressions of sift

In different contexts, you can replace 'sift' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'filter, examine' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'sort, go through' is a commonplace synonym.

sift: Explore its Definition & Usage

sift Definition

1to put flour, sugar, etc. through a sieve or similar object in order to remove large pieces or lumps
2to examine something thoroughly in order to separate out what is valuable or useful from what is not

Using sift: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "sift" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl.
Example
She sifted through the evidence looking for clues.
Example
The police are sifting through the evidence to find the killer.
Example
He sifted the sand through his fingers.

sift Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for sift

Antonyms for sift

Idioms Using sift

sift the wheat from the chaff
to separate what is valuable or useful from what is worthless or unimportant
Example
It's difficult to sift the wheat from the chaff when you're dealing with so much information.
sift through the ashes
to search for something valuable or useful in the remains of a disaster or tragedy
Example
After the fire, they sifted through the ashes looking for any personal belongings that might have survived.
sift one's way
to make one's way through something with difficulty, as if searching for something valuable or useful
Example
She sifted her way through the crowd to get to the front of the stage.

Phrases with sift

sift out
to separate something from a mixture by passing it through a sieve or similar object
Example
Sift out any lumps of sugar before adding it to the mixture.
sift through
to examine something carefully in order to find something or to decide what is important
Example
I spent hours sifting through old photographs.
sift something from something
to remove something from a mixture by passing it through a sieve or similar object
Example
Sift the stones from the soil before planting the seeds.

Origins of sift

from Old English 'siftan', meaning 'to sieve'

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Summary: sift in Brief

'Sift' [sɪft] means to separate or examine something thoroughly. It can refer to removing lumps from flour or examining evidence for clues. 'Sift' can be used in phrases like 'sift out,' meaning to separate something from a mixture, and 'sift through,' meaning to examine something carefully. Idioms like 'sift the wheat from the chaff' denote separating what is valuable from what is not.