UPPER HAND Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

upper hand

noun

Definition of upper hand

as in advantage

the more favorable condition or position in a competition finally gained the upper hand in the argument

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of upper hand The first one will give one team an upper hand, but obviously can’t dictate the entire series. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026 If a handful of contenders recruit the 35-year-old Montenegrin, his friendship with Jokic should give Denver an upper hand. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 May 2026 Pollsters say that trend means the GOP could maintain a slight upper hand in state capitals heading into the fall. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 18 May 2026 The Virginia measure became a turning point, Jeffries’ biggest swing yet, putting Democrats essentially at parity, if not a potential upper hand in the number of seats gained, and shifting Old Dominion more securely into the party’s column. — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for upper hand

Recent Examples of Synonyms for upper hand

Noun

There are advantages to having a merged Paramount+/HBO Max streaming group, Kogel says.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
My breadth of experience from my upbringing to fighting for Arkansans from all walks of life, gives me an advantage in understanding that life story every person brings into my court.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of advantage

Noun

Details like floor-to-ceiling glass and oak ceilings add to the home’s grandeur, and a fire pit at the edge of the lawn—plus private beach access—are ideal for travelers who want to soak in the salty breeze.

— Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026
For a cold moment the silence locked a grip on our table, though it was broken, at the edges, by the golf commentators moaning and harrumphing, Rory McIlroy having had a canary on a seventeenth fairway somewhere this championship Sunday.

— Kevin Barry, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of edge

Noun

On Thursday, both governments sought to claim the diplomatic high ground.

— Dov Lieber, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Given its extensive objections to implementing these kinds of policies in the past, the letter is a transparent effort at attempting to turn the settlement into an opportunity to claim moral high ground.

— Nathaniel Lubin, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of high ground

Browse Nearby Words

uppercuts

upper hand

upper hands

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Style

“Upper hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upper%20hand. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of upper hand

noun

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