: 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

Recent Examples on the Web
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More than ever, people should also make sure their health protocols and diets are not clouded by politics or ideology as doing so can help prevent worst-case-scenario outcomes like this one. Charles Trepany, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025 As many as 298,000 people could die under that quake’s worst-case scenario. Chad De Guzman, Time, 9 Dec. 2025 When Dale comes by with Boss and the crew, they get poisoned, too, only saved from another worst-case scenario thanks to their beeping H2S detectors. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 30 Nov. 2025 In its proposal, BP estimates that a worst-case scenario for Kaskida would result in a spill of about 45,000 barrels of oil per day for 90 days — a total of about 170 million gallons. Kylie Williams, Miami Herald, 29 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for worst-case

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of worst-case was in 1964

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Cite this Entry

“Worst-case.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worst-case. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.

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