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
Whoever has the upper hand, who can define AI and shape public opinion, will be best placed to capitalise on that.
—
Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
That rivalry has not gone away, despite the fact that the Packers have had the upper hand of it for many years now.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025
The Bulls will have the upper hand in any negotiation because Giddey is a restricted free agent, and because only one other team (Brooklyn) has significant cap space.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 19 June 2025
The utilities, with support from the CPUC, seem to have the upper hand.
—Harvey Levine, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for the upper hand
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Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
That rivalry has not gone away, despite the fact that the Packers have had the upper hand of it for many years now.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025
The Bulls will have the upper hand in any negotiation because Giddey is a restricted free agent, and because only one other team (Brooklyn) has significant cap space.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 19 June 2025
The utilities, with support from the CPUC, seem to have the upper hand.
—Harvey Levine, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 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 5 Jul. 2025.
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