: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 It’s all added up to a potential worst-case scenario for Republicans pondering the midterms. Bloomberg, Oc Register, 3 June 2026 In a worst-case scenario, the pressure could result in officers stopping people without good reason or making strict policing of minor infractions into a money-making machine for local governments. N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 30 May 2026 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 15 Jun. 2026.

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