as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
finally gained the upper hand in the argument
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Both processors were competitive, and neither gained a drastic upper hand, save for some specific tasks.
—
PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
His quickness often gives him an upper hand to wall off lanes or square off rushers (zero sacks allowed).
—Dane Brugler, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Winged munition autonomously detects moving targets Raytheon also highlighted that the StormBreaker smart weapon gives operators an upper hand in combat by hitting moving targets in some of the worst weather conditions.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2025
The Northern Sea Route is generally viewed as more developed and regulated, with Moscow investing heavily in infrastructure as part of a broader campaign to gain an upper hand in the Arctic.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upper hand
PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
His quickness often gives him an upper hand to wall off lanes or square off rushers (zero sacks allowed).
—Dane Brugler, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Winged munition autonomously detects moving targets Raytheon also highlighted that the StormBreaker smart weapon gives operators an upper hand in combat by hitting moving targets in some of the worst weather conditions.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2025
The Northern Sea Route is generally viewed as more developed and regulated, with Moscow investing heavily in infrastructure as part of a broader campaign to gain an upper hand in the Arctic.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upper hand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upper hand
Noun
-
From roster makeup to individual position battles to the coaches looking to exploit any advantage on the field, every bit of film is scrutinized to see which team has the advantage in January.—
J.J. Bailey,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Despite being given three power plays in the first, the B’s were not good at all on the man advantage.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Rye whiskey is the drier and spicier cousin of bourbon with an herbaceous edge, an edge which (as with the Sazerac, La Louisiane and others) is given a few dozen exclamation points with a dash of absinthe.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Cake mix, lemon pie filling, and butter come together in the oven to create crisp edges and a gooey, citrusy center, while a little cream cheese in the mix rounds out the lemon’s brightness.—
Maggie Meyer Glisan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
On the road - Drive in the middle lanes and stay on high ground.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
-
On the road - Drive in the middle lanes and stay on high ground.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upper hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upper%20hand. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share