Salem witch trials

Cultural  

1. Trials held in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692 that led to the execution of twenty people for allegedly practicing witchcraft. The trials are noted for the hysterical atmosphere in which they were conducted; many townspeople were widely suspected of witchcraft on flimsy evidence.

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When people are quick to accuse one another of serious misdeeds on inadequate evidence, the situation is often compared to the Salem witch trials.

A “witch hunt” is a political campaign launched under the pretext of investigating activities considered subversive by the state.

Example Sentences

Ward’s opera has a related theme: It is based on the 1953 Arthur Miller play that used the 17th-century Salem witch trials as a metaphor for the McCarthy era.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

In I, Tituba: Black Witch of Salem, Condé told the story of a slave who was one of the first women to be accused of witchcraft during the 1692 Salem witch trials.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2024

In 2022, lawmakers exonerated Elizabeth Johnson Jr., clearing her name 329 years after she was convicted of witchcraft in 1693 and sentenced to death at the height of the Salem witch trials.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 30, 2023

But advocates of the resolution argued it’s important to raise public awareness about the witch trials in Connecticut, which occurred decades before the infamous Salem witch trials in Massachusetts.

From Washington Times • May 26, 2023

Though the Salem witch trials were 150 years past, in remote areas like Hydesville, belief in sorcery and evil held fast.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock