as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
unquestionably the company has the whip hand in negotiations with the labor union
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Recent Examples of whip hand
The understandable view is that, with the NATO alliance facing its biggest crisis in decades and transatlantic unity potentially splintering, support in the West for Ukraine’s war effort is sure to falter, handing Moscow an even stronger whip hand on the battlefield.
—
Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
Microsoft’s whip hand, more than anything, else, comes down to cold hard cash.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2023
The failure of the ‘red wave’ to materialize means that an old-fashioned socialist will have the whip hand over health care for the next two years.
—Joel Zinberg, National Review, 30 Nov. 2022
Amazon has been using the cameras to monitor social distancing between workers during the pandemic — just one of the ways in which computers hold the whip hand in this workplace.
—Sarah O'Connor, Ars Technica, 19 Mar. 2022
The president will be held responsible for whatever happens, so House Democrats have the whip hand in any negotiation.
—Ryan Cooper, TheWeek, 17 Mar. 2020
Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
Microsoft’s whip hand, more than anything, else, comes down to cold hard cash.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2023
The failure of the ‘red wave’ to materialize means that an old-fashioned socialist will have the whip hand over health care for the next two years.
—Joel Zinberg, National Review, 30 Nov. 2022
Amazon has been using the cameras to monitor social distancing between workers during the pandemic — just one of the ways in which computers hold the whip hand in this workplace.
—Sarah O'Connor, Ars Technica, 19 Mar. 2022
The president will be held responsible for whatever happens, so House Democrats have the whip hand in any negotiation.
—Ryan Cooper, TheWeek, 17 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whip 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
-
This approach could transform potential adversaries into advocates, giving leadership an upper hand when activist pressure mounts.—
Sam Wolf,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Because with Ben at the Helm(rath), there’s a significant upper hand.—
Keith Stewart,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whip hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whip%20hand. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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