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
Buyers increasingly are gaining the upper hand, especially in states like Texas and Florida.
—
Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 6 Sep. 2025
The actress clearly had the upper hand, as she could be seen landing at least two bean bags into the center of the cornhole board.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Indeed, when the civil war began again after Japan’s defeat, Mao’s communists had the upper hand, leading to the nationalists’ retreat to Taiwan four years later.
—Meredith Oyen, The Conversation, 2 Sep. 2025
There are 36 percent more sellers than buyers - the widest gap in records back to 2013 - giving purchasers the upper hand in most places, especially across Texas and Florida.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the upper hand
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Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 6 Sep. 2025
The actress clearly had the upper hand, as she could be seen landing at least two bean bags into the center of the cornhole board.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Indeed, when the civil war began again after Japan’s defeat, Mao’s communists had the upper hand, leading to the nationalists’ retreat to Taiwan four years later.
—Meredith Oyen, The Conversation, 2 Sep. 2025
There are 36 percent more sellers than buyers - the widest gap in records back to 2013 - giving purchasers the upper hand in most places, especially across Texas and Florida.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 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 10 Sep. 2025.
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