sift
verb (used with object)
to separate and retain the coarse parts of (flour, ashes, etc.) with a sieve.
had sifted
-
past perfectof sift.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They said the government team had sifted through legally privileged material and accessed her laptop before proceeding to delete multiple files.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
In deciding the case, involving Texas’ election law, he and his law clerks had sifted through hundreds of thousands of exhibits, reviewed testimony from more than 70 witnesses and researched relevant case law.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 6, 2026
It had sifted out an object that, on closer inspection, was inexplicably massive and dated back to just 300 million years after the big bang, older than any galaxy ever seen before.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 14, 2022
One hour, 32 minutes and 32 seconds later, the algorithm had sifted through 271 patients and their pairs to identify 82 transplants, including 17 three-way exchanges.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 10, 2018
Sarai had trespassed in thousands of minds—tens of thousands—and she had sifted her invisible fingers through dreams beyond counting.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
