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View synonyms for

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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈɾٳ-ˌܲԳپԲ, nounadjective
  • ˈɾٳ-ˌܲԳٱ, noun
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Other yvlog Forms

  • witch hunter noun
  • ɾٳ-ܲԳiԲ adjective noun
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yvlog 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
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denounced an investigation into possible links between his aides and Qatar as a "witch hunt", after he gave testimony to police.

From

"There is no case, there is absolutely nothing, just a political witch hunt, nothing else."

From

But Trump’s witch hunt will only succeed if lawyers let it.

From

Instead, he said, the Trump administration had initiated a “witch hunt.”

From

He said Signalgate is just the latest witch hunt, while also claiming “there might be something defective with Signal.”

From

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