the upper hand
noun
: the position of having power or being in control in a particular situation
He always has to have the upper hand.
—sometimes used figurativelyThe infection was gaining the upper hand and the patient's condition was deteriorating.
Examples of the upper hand in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Celtics will have the upper hand here even with all of the injuries.
—
Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
As the most ubiquitous internet payment service, PayPal (which also owns Venmo) has the upper hand here.
—PCMAG, 7 Mar. 2025
Other indicators consistently suggested Trump had the upper hand, such as weak Biden approval ratings, belief that the country was on the wrong track, and the strength of candidates on the main issue, inflation.
—Clifford Young, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025
Despite Moscow having the upper hand, Ukraine has slowed or even halted Russia’s grinding winter advances.
—Artem Grudinin, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the upper hand
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Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
As the most ubiquitous internet payment service, PayPal (which also owns Venmo) has the upper hand here.
—PCMAG, 7 Mar. 2025
Other indicators consistently suggested Trump had the upper hand, such as weak Biden approval ratings, belief that the country was on the wrong track, and the strength of candidates on the main issue, inflation.
—Clifford Young, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025
Despite Moscow having the upper hand, Ukraine has slowed or even halted Russia’s grinding winter advances.
—Artem Grudinin, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the upper hand
Cite this Entry
“The upper hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20upper%20hand. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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