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
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
Benzaquen said ProphetX’s sports-only strategy gives it an upper hand over bet-on-everything rivals that also offer wagers on elections, economics and pop culture.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upper hand
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
Benzaquen said ProphetX’s sports-only strategy gives it an upper hand over bet-on-everything rivals that also offer wagers on elections, economics and pop culture.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upper hand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upper hand
Noun
-
The first half was scoreless with Sacramento holding 60% of possession while Tulsa had a 9-3 shot advantage.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Ole Miss jumped out to a 23-2 lead over the Commodores and held a 32-point advantage at the halftime break.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The texture is a bit sticky, though blends out with ease for soft edges and a natural finish.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Rainwater tends to gather along the road edges.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ultimately, the modular approach is designed to secure the lunar high ground and support a sustainable, long-term space economy.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Mar. 2026
-
On the road - Drive in the middle lanes and stay on high ground.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upper hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upper%20hand. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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