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 series is tied at 1-1, and one of these teams will have the upper hand after Friday's showdown.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Bix eventually gets the upper hand and the officer is killed.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2025
But officials here in Asia fear that trade advisor Navarro will have the upper hand in the long run.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Character Descriptions –Greg Kinnear as The Warden Character Description: The Warden is the boss at Camp Yucca, with a flair for manipulation and getting the upper hand on his campers.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the upper hand
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Bix eventually gets the upper hand and the officer is killed.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2025
But officials here in Asia fear that trade advisor Navarro will have the upper hand in the long run.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Character Descriptions –Greg Kinnear as The Warden Character Description: The Warden is the boss at Camp Yucca, with a flair for manipulation and getting the upper hand on his campers.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 22 Apr. 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 3 May. 2025.
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