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
But there seems to be one that could have the upper hand over all the others if the Bucks do end up trading him.
—
Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025
Hartford has the upper hand right now, but McClain was good in his 106 defensive snaps last year.
—Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 30 May 2025
While the Allied forces were gaining the upper hand, fears were raised that the war could drag on for years if there was a land invasion of Japan.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2025
In the most important game of the Class 5A Division I regional final series, and possibly his career, Miller seized the upper hand.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 May 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.
Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025
Hartford has the upper hand right now, but McClain was good in his 106 defensive snaps last year.
—Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 30 May 2025
While the Allied forces were gaining the upper hand, fears were raised that the war could drag on for years if there was a land invasion of Japan.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2025
In the most important game of the Class 5A Division I regional final series, and possibly his career, Miller seized the upper hand.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 May 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 7 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share