The worst-case possibility for NBC if it decides to stay with Mr. Leno would be a stampede of viewers to Mr. Letterman.

They feared the worst-case possibility: that Curry could die while playing basketball.

In a worst-case possibility, regulators could have destroyed Wall Street in order to save it - insisting on trials that could have ruined its credibility permanently.

In the worst-case possibilities, the lack of a will can turn potential heirs against each other as lawyers feast on diminishing assets of the deceased.

Ms. Waldman said the estimates made in the lawsuit were a worst-case possibility.

Instinctively Willy positioned himself for the worst-case possibilities.

After having watched the events unfold on television, Mr. Brown said that jetliners crashing into the buildings were worst-case possibilities that the architects and engineers had worked through as an intellectual exercise.

Under a worst-case possibility here, the water could be returned to the town of Oyster Bay.

The city's Department of Environmental Protection is so concerned about this worst-case possibility that it will not even allow the pipeline company to conduct tests at the site.

The worst-case possibility was a land strike in a heavily populated area.