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 second half of the play, set 3½ years later in 1991, moves the action to Isaac’s Gramercy Park apartment, where the patriarch, in exile since Aaron’s successful takeover, is still trying to regain the upper hand despite the steep decline in his physical and cognitive health.
—
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024
Zoom in: Denver sellers don't have the upper hand right now, which means their top priority is making the sale, Compass Denver agent David Schlichter tells Axios.
—Brianna Crane, Axios, 13 July 2024
Countries run by controlling autocrats go to great lengths to clamp down on the opposition and maintain the upper hand.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 July 2024
There, Trump had the upper hand: Republicans held a 27-23 advantage.
—Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for the upper hand 
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024
Zoom in: Denver sellers don't have the upper hand right now, which means their top priority is making the sale, Compass Denver agent David Schlichter tells Axios.
—Brianna Crane, Axios, 13 July 2024
Countries run by controlling autocrats go to great lengths to clamp down on the opposition and maintain the upper hand.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 July 2024
There, Trump had the upper hand: Republicans held a 27-23 advantage.
—Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for the upper hand
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the upper hand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“The upper hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20upper%20hand. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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