witch-hunt

Fetched 2026-10-26 (cache).

Synonyms: witchhunt, witch hunt, witch-hunts

Antonyms: witchhunt, witch hunt, witch-hunts

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Noun

1. {{lb|en|now|chiefly|historical}} A search for people believed to be using [[sorcery]] or [[harmful]] [[magic]], typically in order to [[persecute]] or [[punish]] them.
2. {{lb|en|figurative|by extension}} An [[attempt]] to find and [[punish]] or [[harass]] a group of people perceived as a [[threat]], usually on [[ideological]] or [[political]] [[ground]]s.
3. {{lb|en|figurative|by extension}} A [[public]] or [[political]] [[campaign]] or investigation which [[smear]]s a person or group.

Verb

1. {{lb|en|informal|figurative|transitive}} To [[aggressively]] [[pursue]], [[investigate]], or [[persecute]] [[individual]]s or [[groups]] [[based]] on [[unsubstantiated]] [[accusation]]s, often [[drive]]n by [[fear]], [[ideology]], [[political]] [[expediency]], [[moral panic]], etc.

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wiktionary dump) · cached copy, not a rewrite.