fear the worst
idiom
: to fear that the worst possible thing has happened
When we heard there had been an accident, we feared the worst.
Examples of fear the worst in a Sentence
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Even if those watching the Packers on Saturday night fear the worst as memories of Brandon Bostick creep into their mind, their veteran special teams coordinator sounds far more optimistic.
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Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Stern's unusual schedule, which involves summers off and limited trips to SiriusXM’s New York City studios, led to a few major media outlets reporting the end of his radio reign, and made fans fear the worst.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
Given how emaciated and unwell the kitten was, Neveux couldn’t help but fear the worst.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, economists and other analysts began to fear the worst.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fear the worst
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Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Stern's unusual schedule, which involves summers off and limited trips to SiriusXM’s New York City studios, led to a few major media outlets reporting the end of his radio reign, and made fans fear the worst.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
Given how emaciated and unwell the kitten was, Neveux couldn’t help but fear the worst.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, economists and other analysts began to fear the worst.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fear the worst
Cite this Entry
“Fear the worst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fear%20the%20worst. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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