expect the worst
idiom
: to assume that something very bad will happen
We expect the worst when we return home after the storm passes.
Examples of expect the worst in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Always expect the worst, and you’ll always be prepared.
—
Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 21 June 2024
Her professional background has prepared her to expect the worst.
—Jessika Harkay, Hartford Courant, 13 May 2024
So when Marvel began teasing a major character death in the upcoming issue Amazing Spider-Man #26, comic fans knew to expect the worst.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 16 May 2023
Citizens have become accustomed to expect the worst because of scandal after scandal.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2023
Given the influx of money and agents over the next decade, expect the worst.
—Jay Starkman, WSJ, 7 Mar. 2023
First-time players are made to expect the worst: maybe Joel has died.
—Joshua St. Clair, Men's Health, 19 Feb. 2023
But we’re so conditioned to expect the worst that a sense of unease remains present.
—Odie Henderson, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Feb. 2023
These associations become the seeds for implicitly biased thinking: without bad intentions, people start to expect the worst for individuals from minority backgrounds.
—Ayelet Fishbach, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2022
Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 21 June 2024
Her professional background has prepared her to expect the worst.
—Jessika Harkay, Hartford Courant, 13 May 2024
So when Marvel began teasing a major character death in the upcoming issue Amazing Spider-Man #26, comic fans knew to expect the worst.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 16 May 2023
Citizens have become accustomed to expect the worst because of scandal after scandal.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2023
Given the influx of money and agents over the next decade, expect the worst.
—Jay Starkman, WSJ, 7 Mar. 2023
First-time players are made to expect the worst: maybe Joel has died.
—Joshua St. Clair, Men's Health, 19 Feb. 2023
But we’re so conditioned to expect the worst that a sense of unease remains present.
—Odie Henderson, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Feb. 2023
These associations become the seeds for implicitly biased thinking: without bad intentions, people start to expect the worst for individuals from minority backgrounds.
—Ayelet Fishbach, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'expect the worst.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near expect the worst
Cite this Entry
“Expect the worst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expect%20the%20worst. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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