Witch hunt

🧹 Witch hunt

Concrete Meaning

A malicious, irrational campaign to find and punish people who hold unpopular opinions or are perceived as enemies, often based on little to no evidence.

💬 Context & Examples

Commonly used in politics, media, or corporate environments when someone feels they are being unfairly targeted or blamed for systemic problems.

"The manager claimed the internal investigation was just a witch hunt designed to force him out of the company."
"When the project failed, the executives started a witch hunt instead of looking at the structural issues."

🧠 Pattern Challenge

Test Yourself

Thinking about historical witch trials, why is it impossible for the accused to defend themselves in a "witch hunt"?

Show Answer

Because the crimes they are accused of (using invisible magic or curses) leave no physical evidence, making the accusations based purely on mass hysteria and suspicion rather than facts.