witch hunt

American  

[wich-huhnt] / ˈwɪtʃˌhʌnt /

Or witch-hunt

noun

1. (in historical use) the investigation, trial, and punishment of alleged practitioners of witchcraft.

2. 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.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to subject to a witch hunt.

   The defendant claimed he was being witch-hunted due to his political activism.

witch-hunt British  

noun

1. a rigorous campaign to round up or expose dissenters on the pretext of safeguarding the welfare of the public

---

Other Word Forms

• witch hunter noun
• witch-hunter noun
• witch-hunting adjective

Etymology

Origin of witch hunt

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

Example Sentences

“What we’re seeing is a witch hunt against lesbians,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

A BBC interview with Woody Allen, in which he called the #MeToo movement a witch hunt, was a eureka moment for Belflower.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2025

There is a bruising public airing of the claims, followed by a backlash and claims of a witch hunt.

From Slate • Nov. 20, 2024

Margaret Jones, the first woman executed for witchcraft in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during New England’s 200-year witch hunt, opens the menu, which comes with a 20-page graphic novel.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2024

This was an accident and a witch hunt; the prosecution felt the defense had insulated itself from science and reality.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel