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
Head-to-head, Mexico has the upper hand, winning three of their last four encounters, including a tight 3–2 win in 2020.
—
Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Somehow, the upper hand never lingers long with Sally and Barnaby, drolly played by Gunning and Corden as a conniving Tweedledee and Tweedledum, loyal to no one and convinced their venality is justified by their father’s history of terrible parenting.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
If quantum adversaries gain the upper hand, the implications for national and global economic stability could be catastrophic.
—John Prisco, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Buyers increasingly are gaining the upper hand, especially in states like Texas and Florida.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the upper hand
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Somehow, the upper hand never lingers long with Sally and Barnaby, drolly played by Gunning and Corden as a conniving Tweedledee and Tweedledum, loyal to no one and convinced their venality is justified by their father’s history of terrible parenting.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
If quantum adversaries gain the upper hand, the implications for national and global economic stability could be catastrophic.
—John Prisco, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Buyers increasingly are gaining the upper hand, especially in states like Texas and Florida.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 6 Sep. 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 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share