witch hunt
Biased guilt search
A witch hunt is a campaign to expose and punish people accused of holding dangerous or subversive views.
The term comes from historical persecutions of accused witches but now describes any investigation driven more by hysteria or political motivation than by evidence: The hearings devolved into a witch hunt.
Those who claim to be targets of witch hunts usually mean the accusations against them are unfounded or exaggerated.
Sustained, probing investigation
- McCarthyismPolitically-motivated accusation without evidence
- trialJudicial examination of claims
- accusationClaim someone did wrong
- purgeEliminate unwanted elements
blacklist · heresy · sorcery · excommunication · denunciation · tribunal · interrogation · confession
Shared irrational public fear
- frenzyViolent mental agitation
- maniaIntense, consuming obsession
- panicUncontrollable sudden fear
- mob mentalityCollective irrationality in groups
contagion · fever · craze · moral panic · alarmism · overreaction · irrationality · fanaticism
Intolerance toward differing views
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- discriminationUnjust differential treatment
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
- narrow-mindednessClosed thinking, limited perspective
sectarianism · xenophobia · exclusion · ostracism · stigmatization · vilification · demonization · othering
Unfairly blamed person
- blameAssign responsibility for wrongdoing
- fall guyOne blamed for others
- patsyEasily deceived victim
- whipping boyDesignated recipient of punishment
target · victim · black sheep · outcast · finger-pointing · deflection · innocent · culprit
inquisition
Sustained, probing investigation
- McCarthyismPolitically-motivated accusation without evidence
- trialJudicial examination of claims
- accusationClaim someone did wrong
purge · blacklist · heresy · sorcery · excommunication · denunciation · tribunal · interrogation · confession · testimony
mass hysteria
Shared irrational public fear
mob mentality · contagion · fever · craze · moral panic · alarmism · overreaction · irrationality · fanaticism · zealotry
bigotry
Intolerance toward differing views
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- discriminationUnjust differential treatment
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
narrow-mindedness · sectarianism · xenophobia · exclusion · ostracism · stigmatization · vilification · demonization · othering · marginalization
scapegoat
Unfairly blamed person
whipping boy · target · victim · black sheep · outcast · finger-pointing · deflection · innocent · culprit · sacrificial lamb
- Early ModernRenaissance, 1500s, 1600s, Reformation, sixteenth century
- witch huntsSalem trials, accusations, burning at stake, Tituba, inquisition
- political theaterkabuki, agitprop, grandstanding, political drama, posturing
- witchcraftspell, spellwork, spells, hex, hexes
- unfairnessunfair, unjust, biased, unequal, inequitable
- political jargonfilibuster, gerrymandering, caucus, pork barrel, lame duck
witch huntfair trial
Impartial judicial proceeding
due process · fair hearing · truth-seeking · judicial process · judicial review
witch huntvindication
Clearance of blame
exoneration · acquittal · justice served · absolution · amnesty
witch huntmeasured response
Controlled, proportional reply
presumption of innocence · benefit of the doubt · restraint · tolerance · forbearance
witch, witchcraft, witches, bewitch, manhunt, bewitched, witching, bewitching, witchery