worst nightmare

noun

: the thing someone fears most
Losing a child is every parent's worst nightmare.

Examples of worst nightmare in a Sentence

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Advertisement All Her Fault (Peacock) November 6 Following her stellar run on Succession, Sarah Snook will be back on our TV screens in All Her Fault, the story of a mother’s worst nightmare. Lucy Ford, Time, 28 Aug. 2025 Riverside, California — The call came to police on the night of August 14 and described every parent’s worst nightmare. Stephanie Elam, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025 With twice the firepower of HIMARS and the speed to strike then vanish, this German-American system could be Europe’s most formidable artillery yet — and Putin’s worst nightmare. Interesting Engineering, 25 Aug. 2025 And so begins every parent’s worst nightmare. Katie Campione, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for worst nightmare

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“Worst nightmare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worst%20nightmare. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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