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Definition of witchhunt

witchhunt

/ˈwɪtʃˌhʌnt/
witch · hunt
Plural:witchhunts
•
Past Simple:witchhunted
•
Past Participle:witchhunted
•
Present Participle:witchhunting
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witchhunt Lexical Profile

witchhunt Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A campaign directed against a person or group holding views considered unorthodox or a threat to society, often conducted under the pretext of uncovering subversive activity.

Example

"The public inquiry quickly devolved into a partisan witchhunt aimed at discrediting political rivals."

2

A historical search for and subsequent persecution of people accused of practicing witchcraft.

Example

"Historians have extensively documented the social and economic tensions that fueled the seventeenth-century witchhunt in Salem."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for witchhunt

• verb

1

To conduct an unfair or vindictive campaign against a person or group holding unpopular or unorthodox views.

Example

"Critics argued that the committee was attempting to witchhunt whistleblowers rather than address the underlying systemic issues."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for witchhunt

• Nearby Words

witch hazel
witchcraft
witchdoctor
witchhunt
witching
witchlike
witchweed

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Witchhunt. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/witchhunt
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