witch hunt

1 of 2

noun (1)

1

: a searching out for persecution of persons accused of witchcraft

2

: the searching out and deliberate harassment of those (such as political opponents) with unpopular views

witch-hunter

ˈwich-ˌhən-tər 

noun

witch-hunting

ˈwich-ˌhən-tiŋ 

noun or adjective

witch-hunting

2 of 2

noun (2)

: the act or process of carrying on a witch-hunt

various forms of hysteria such as witch-hunting and a search for scapegoats

—N. J. Padelford

compare red-baiting

Examples of witch hunt in a Sentence

Noun (1)

He was the victim of a congressional witch hunt against Communists.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Perhaps Formosus was just the victim of a witch hunt. —Jane Bua, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

Gezi gave way to crackdowns and an administrative witch hunt that saw thousands of academics, judges, journalists, lawyers, and civil servants jailed. —Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026

Netanyahu rejects the allegations, and has condemned the case as a witch hunt orchestrated by the media, police and judiciary. —CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025

The former leader has rejected the allegations against her as a political witch hunt, allowing India to make a potential case that the charges against her were politically motivated. —Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for witch hunt

• affront
• confront
• exeunt
• forefront
• lakefront
• manhunt
• sederunt
• upfront
• battlefront
• oceanfront
• riverfront
• waterfront

Kids Definition

witch-hunt

noun

-ˌhənt

1

: a searching out and persecution of persons accused of witchcraft

2

: the searching out and deliberate harassment of those (as political opponents) with unpopular views