worst-case
adjective
: involving, projecting, or providing for the worst possible circumstances or outcome of a given situation
a worst-case scenario
Examples of worst-case in a Sentence
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In one of the CDC modeling’s worst-case scenarios, in which only 20 percent of Ebola cases are isolated, most simulations projected more than 20,000 cases and more than 4,000 deaths within just three months.
—
Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
Its security analysis assumes a worst-case scenario in which an attacker may possess quantum correlations with the detector itself.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 June 2026
In the months after her diagnosis, Whittingham couldn't stop thinking about worst-case scenarios.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 6 June 2026
Disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz have kept oil markets on edge, even if prices have not yet fully reflected worst-case scenarios.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 3 June 2026
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Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
Its security analysis assumes a worst-case scenario in which an attacker may possess quantum correlations with the detector itself.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 June 2026
In the months after her diagnosis, Whittingham couldn't stop thinking about worst-case scenarios.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 6 June 2026
Disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz have kept oil markets on edge, even if prices have not yet fully reflected worst-case scenarios.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for worst-case
Cite this Entry
“Worst-case.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worst-case. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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