sift

verb

Definition of siftnext
1
as in to filter

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in to inspect

Related Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sift But before any company can send a full-scale extractor to the Moon to attempt to sift through regolith and collect helium-3, someone should probably attempt to determine whether this is physically practical. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026 Some teams have tight ends (or even receivers) quickly sift from the outside of the formation into the middle gaps as the ball is snapped. — Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Including having Rolling Stone sift through her listening habits for another round of Rolling Stone’s Song Shuffle series. — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2026 Three of the tests used different wavelengths of light to excite the chemical components and sift out identifying signatures from their glow. — Mike McRae 17, New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sift
  1. filter
  2. inspect
  3. sieve
  4. investigate
  5. lay
  6. examine
  7. screen
Verb
  • The instruments can move with greater flexibility than the human hand, while the system filters out natural hand tremors that could affect delicate movements.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The set list spans her 14-year career, with even the most pop-forward selections filtered through thunderous percussion and earsplitting guitars.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of filter
Verb
  • Engineers need to inspect those structures without cutting them apart or damaging them.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Some walked up to inspect it themselves, convinced West had to have something available.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of inspect
Verb
  • After sufficient brewing time, pour the tea into the pitcher through a fine mesh filter or sieve to remove the loose leaves or take out and throw out the whole tea bags.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 19 June 2026
  • Creativity is not just some commodity, trapped in the imagination, that can be tapped and sieved by technology.
    — John Semley, Wired News, 1 Apr. 2026
Definition of sieve
Verb
  • Police investigated the death of Holmes for 18 months before charging Vaughn, Early and Brown in March 1990.
    — Brett Barrouquere, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Gibson Dunn, an external law firm, investigated and dismissed Love’s complaints.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of investigate
Verb
  • In addition, Autograph Hotels for the second consecutive year will host the festival’s VIP party at the historic Algonquin Hotel, where the New Yorker’s founders gathered to lay the groundwork for the magazine more than a century ago.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Early settlers of the Valley constructed the Salt River's first dams and laid the groundwork for the area's future.
    — Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of lay
Verb
  • Movie night this past week was Taylor Sheridan’s Wind River, an absolutely devastating neo-Western that examines the injustice many Native American women face on and off the reservation.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Now, in this new study, the international team examined the curious fossil under cross-polarized light, allowing more of its structure to be visible.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of examine
Verb
  • The movies will screen at about 200 AMC locations, among other chains.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026
  • On Wednesday, NewsCord — a news comparison and media monitoring platform — started a campaign urging cinemas around the world to refuse to screen the film, emailing major chains with the request on behalf of those who register.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of screen

Browse Nearby Words

sieving
sift
sifted
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Cite this Entry

“Sift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sift. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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