as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
finally gained the upper hand in the argument
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Recent Examples of upper hand
These Democrats believe that the mayhem caused by ICE’s raids gives the party an uncharacteristic upper hand over Republicans on immigration—and that demands to eliminate the agency erase that leverage.
—
Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026
There are a limited number of sites these facilities can go, giving local governments an upper hand in negotiations.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Brouk & Co Pearl Travel Jewelry Case Anything from Oprah’s Favorites list already has an upper hand in White Elephant, and this travel jewelry case proves why.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 20 Dec. 2025
But the victory actually gives them an upper hand over the New England Patriots, who were enjoying their bye week.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upper hand
Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026
There are a limited number of sites these facilities can go, giving local governments an upper hand in negotiations.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Brouk & Co Pearl Travel Jewelry Case Anything from Oprah’s Favorites list already has an upper hand in White Elephant, and this travel jewelry case proves why.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 20 Dec. 2025
But the victory actually gives them an upper hand over the New England Patriots, who were enjoying their bye week.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upper hand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upper hand
Noun
-
Defending Houston Open champion Min Woo Lee and Michael Thorbjornsen are both at 12-under 198 through three rounds, meaning Woodland, at 18-under, has a 6-stroke advantage over the third-place golfers.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Led by McKenney and Gayle, the Wolverines (34-3) enjoyed a 33-6 advantage in bench points.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
When looking at the largest metro areas, the fastest growing counties tended to be on the outer edges.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The Chiefs have now turned their attention to the secondary waves of free agency while looking ahead to the draft — with top needs at cornerback, edge and offensive tackle, by my estimation.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
On the road - Drive in the middle lanes and stay on high ground.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Ukrainian forces also control high ground to the east of Sloviansk.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upper hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upper%20hand. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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