(in historical use) the investigation, trial, and punishment of alleged practitioners of witchcraft.
an intensive inquiry, originally or purportedly to discover and expose dishonesty, subversion, or other wrongdoing, the scope and conclusions of which often include and bring harm to innocent persons or their reputations through reliance on hearsay or circumstantial evidence.
First recorded in 1885–90 witch hunt for def. 1; in 1935–40 witch hunt for def. 2; and in 1945–50 witch hunt for def. 3; the gerund witch-hunting was first recorded in 1635–40
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The report revealed messages Sam had sent to colleagues in which she said she felt unsupported by her line manager and that the investigation felt like a "witch hunt".
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
In a statement, she denounced the process as unfair, saying the Ethics Committee "refused my new attorney's reasonable request for time to prepare my defense" and describing the proceedings as "a witch hunt."
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
“What we’re seeing is a witch hunt against lesbians,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025
Though the witch hunt never reaches the level of Arthur Miller, Cregger establishes a steady foundation on which he can build suspicion, stacking his interlinked narrative vignettes high into the sky.
From Salon • Aug. 8, 2025
Robert Oppenheimer was destined to become the most prominent victim of the witch hunt.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
