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
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
Those deep ties might give EssilorLuxottica or L’Oréal an upper hand compared to LVMH.
—Giacomo Tognini, Forbes.com, 13 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
Trump has 'upper hand' on Democrats in crime debate, MSNBC guest admits.
—FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upper hand
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2025
Those deep ties might give EssilorLuxottica or L’Oréal an upper hand compared to LVMH.
—Giacomo Tognini, Forbes.com, 13 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
Trump has 'upper hand' on Democrats in crime debate, MSNBC guest admits.
—FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upper hand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upper hand
Noun
-
Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez was dead against the idea, with his club arguing that breaking the traditional home and away format adulterated the competition, while also expressing concern over participating teams gaining a financial advantage.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Legalized betting has certain security advantages in that unusual betting patterns — such as large bets being placed on a random player’s performance — can be immediately flagged.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The measure appears to have been the least favored around the southeastern edge of the county, an area that was originally supposed to get access to the silver line.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
-
These changes, as well as, wearing bangs were a major key to keeping her edges strong.—
Essence,
Essence,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
On the road - Drive in the middle lanes and stay on high ground.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
On the road - Drive in the middle lanes and stay on high ground.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upper hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upper%20hand. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share