upper hand

noun

: mastery, advantage, control

was determined not to let the opposition get the upper hand

Synonyms of upper hand

• advantage
• edge
• high ground

Examples of upper hand in a Sentence

finally gained the upper hand in the argument

Recent Examples on the Web

Some prediction markets are also giving Raman a slight upper hand, but at least one of those same sites showed Pratt advancing to the runoff over Raman in the lead-up to June’s primary. — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 26 Oct. 2026

With the Broncos holding a 2-1 record and the Chargers sitting at 0-3, the winner of this weekend’s game in Las Vegas will gain an upper hand in the AFC West. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026

Their time together at JMU could offer Sweazie an upper hand. — Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 17 Aug. 2026

The finale underlines that break in its final scenes, cross-cutting between the former friends as Alicent makes her first and only appearance in the episode at the exact moment the full tragedy of Rhaenyra’s upper hand becomes apparent. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for upper hand

• ampersand
• beforehand
• behindhand
• bottomland
• contraband
• countermand
• dixieland
• fairyland
• fatherland
• firebrand
• hinterland
• motherland

Kids Definition

upper hand

noun

: the position of being ahead or in control