IdiomDaily Life
English
Englisha witch hunt
Meaning: A campaign to find and punish people, driven by fear or suspicion rather than evidence.
Example: “The investigation into the leak turned into a witch hunt.”
Origin: From the witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries, including Salem in 1692. The figurative use became common with the anti-communist investigations in the United States in the 1950s, which Arthur Miller's play The Crucible (1953) compared to Salem.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Une chasse aux sorcières Literally: A witch hunt
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