witch hunt

or witch-hunt

[ wich-huhnt ]

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

noun

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

Derived Forms

• ˈwitch-ˌhunting, nounadjective
• ˈwitch-ˌhunter, noun

Other Words From

• witch hunter noun
• witch-hunting adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of witch hunt¹

First recorded in 1885–90 witch hunt fordef 1; in 1935–40 witch hunt fordef 2; and in 1945–50 witch hunt fordef 3; the gerund witch-hunting was first recorded in 1635–40

Example Sentences

Gaetz also denied the allegations at the heart of the unreleased Ethics report, claiming the bipartisan committee was engaged in a witch hunt.

From Salon

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

From Slate

It was not a “deep-state witch hunt.”

From Slate

Gaetz, for his part, is echoing Trump's playbook of characterizing all accusations against him as being part of a political witch hunt.

From Salon

His witch hunt had to be conducted in the name of saving the country from communism.

From Salon