as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
unquestionably the company has the whip hand in negotiations with the labor union
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Recent Examples of whip hand
Microsoft’s whip hand, more than anything, else, comes down to cold hard cash.
—
Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2023
The failure of the ‘red wave’ to materialize means that an old-fashioned socialist will have the whip hand over health care for the next two years.
—Joel Zinberg, National Review, 30 Nov. 2022
The media have the whip hand over Democrats, and the results are a horror.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 27 Sep. 2021
Hence, despite Twitter's poison pill and a staggered board, Musk always had the whip hand.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2022
Amazon has been using the cameras to monitor social distancing between workers during the pandemic — just one of the ways in which computers hold the whip hand in this workplace.
—Sarah O'Connor, Ars Technica, 19 Mar. 2022
In a chilling report released a few weeks ago about Hollywood’s subordinate relationship to Beijing, PEN America described the forces that have given China the whip hand.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 9 Sep. 2020
The president will be held responsible for whatever happens, so House Democrats have the whip hand in any negotiation.
—Ryan Cooper, TheWeek, 17 Mar. 2020
In fact, from the start the EU saw itself as holding whip hand in the talks, convinced that a failure, while bad for both sides, would be worse for the Brits.
—Laurence Norman, WSJ, 14 Dec. 2018
Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2023
The failure of the ‘red wave’ to materialize means that an old-fashioned socialist will have the whip hand over health care for the next two years.
—Joel Zinberg, National Review, 30 Nov. 2022
The media have the whip hand over Democrats, and the results are a horror.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 27 Sep. 2021
Hence, despite Twitter's poison pill and a staggered board, Musk always had the whip hand.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2022
Amazon has been using the cameras to monitor social distancing between workers during the pandemic — just one of the ways in which computers hold the whip hand in this workplace.
—Sarah O'Connor, Ars Technica, 19 Mar. 2022
In a chilling report released a few weeks ago about Hollywood’s subordinate relationship to Beijing, PEN America described the forces that have given China the whip hand.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 9 Sep. 2020
The president will be held responsible for whatever happens, so House Democrats have the whip hand in any negotiation.
—Ryan Cooper, TheWeek, 17 Mar. 2020
In fact, from the start the EU saw itself as holding whip hand in the talks, convinced that a failure, while bad for both sides, would be worse for the Brits.
—Laurence Norman, WSJ, 14 Dec. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whip hand
Noun
-
Analysis by German football correspondent Sebastian Stafford-Bloor Tillman has some advantages.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
-
Yet Crawley carved out her niche not through aggressive marketing spend but through product innovation that photographs well—a crucial advantage in the Instagram economy.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
This flutter-sleeve top is roomy and billowy for low-key summer days, while this denim jacket has floral details, giving it a feminine edge other toppers lack.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
People.com,
9 July 2025
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Michigan clearly saw Meadows as one of the top edge prospects in the class and prioritized him accordingly.—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
Many argue that spending money in a game gives an upper hand to those who don’t, resulting in an unbalanced in-game experience.—
Bartosz Skwarczek,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
-
Kiefer Sherwood continues his dream breakout season Colorado had the clear upper hand in controlling the flow of play and generating chances through the first 20 minutes.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whip hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whip%20hand. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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