1. the process of passing material through a sieve
2. careful examination or analysis of information or evidence

1. passing through a sieve to separate fine particles from coarse ones
Usage: present participle of sift
2. examining carefully to find something specific or to separate what is useful from what is not
Usage: present participle of sift

Examples

• She was sifting flour for the cake recipe.
• The archaeologists spent hours sifting through the dirt for artifacts.
• The detective was sifting through the evidence to find clues.
• After sifting the sand, they found several small shells.
• The hiring manager is sifting through hundreds of resumes.
• The sifting of grain removed all the chaff.
• Careful sifting of the data revealed important patterns.