witch hunt

noun

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 noun
witch-hunting noun or adjective

Examples of witch hunt in a Sentence

He was the victim of a congressional witch hunt against Communists.
Recent Examples on the Web Trump and his allies have branded the case a witch hunt, a selective prosecution brought by a Democratic district attorney in the pocket of George Soros, boogeyman of the right. Michael Rothfeld Emily Woo Zeller Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024 Trump, since he was indicted in this case, has blasted it as election interference and a political witch hunt against him run by his political opponents. Brooke Singman, Fox News, 5 Apr. 2024 Trump has denied all charges and denounced the probe as a political witch hunt. Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024 This unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits. Jem Aswad, Variety, 26 Mar. 2024 Some Republican members of Congress have been vocally critical of the military’s efforts to combat extremism, calling it a witch hunt and a waste of the military’s time and money. Will Carless, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024 His lawyer cast the trial as a political witch hunt by James. Jake Offenhartz, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2024 LaPierre has called the case a political witch hunt by the Democratic New York attorney general. Emma Bowman, NPR, 24 Feb. 2024 Trump has denied wrongdoing and says the rulings are part of a political witch hunt against his bid for the presidency in 2024. George Petras, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'witch hunt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of witch hunt was in 1853

Dictionary Entries Near witch hunt

Cite this Entry

“Witch hunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/witch%20hunt. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on witch hunt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!