Separate with a sieve (4) Crossword Clue
Answer: SIFT (4 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Separate with a sieve" with 4 letters is "SIFT".Sift means to separate or remove unwanted particles from a substance, typically using a sieve or screen. It is commonly used in cooking to separate flour from impurities or to sift dry ingredients together for even distribution.
Why “Sift” Fits
The clue asks for a single word (4 letters) meaning “separate with a sieve.” The answer, SIFT, fits exactly:
- Separate with a sieve: Sift refers to the action of passing a substance (such as flour, sand, or soil) through a sieve to separate finer particles from coarser ones.
- Direct match: With 4 letters, sift matches the clue’s enumeration perfectly.
- Precise definition: It is the technical and everyday word for the act of sieving or straining.
The verb sift is well-rooted in both culinary and everyday English:
- Origin and usage: From Old English siftan (“to pass through a sieve”), related to sieve.
- Contexts: Widely used in cooking (e.g., “sift the flour”), construction (sifting sand or soil), and even figuratively (to sift through information).
- Examples: “She sifted the flour before baking,” or “The detective sifted through the evidence carefully.”
Quick crossword clues like “separate with a sieve (4)” are definition-based and straightforward:
- Possible alternatives like sort (4) or scan (4) may come to mind, but they don’t carry the exact sieving process.
- The 4-letter enumeration directly points to sift, which is the simplest and most universally recognized word.
- Its clarity, brevity, and precise meaning make sift the correct solution.
