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Red Scare

Cultural

The rounding up and deportation of several hundred immigrants of radical political views by the federal government in 1919 and 1920. This “scare” was caused by fears of subversion by communists in the United States after the Russian Revolution.

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.

The Red Scare followed—the government arrested and deported radicals, breaking unions like the IWW and hobbling labor for a decade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

By the time Hofstadter wrote that, the Red Scare had subsided, its loudest voices pushed to the fringe of U.S. politics.

From Slate • Mar. 17, 2025

After noting that her film career started at the end of McCarthyism and the Red Scare, Fonda emphasized the need for the Hollywood community to fight for what they believe in.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2025

When asked about his time during the Red Scare, Trumbo recounted that regardless of what we endure, we still have to have a happy life.

From Salon • Jan. 8, 2025

Since Communists rallied around a red flag, the nickname “Reds” became attached to them, and the Red Scare got its name.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023