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
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Minutes earlier, Kelsy took advantage of an uncharacteristically lax exchange, blindsiding Jeppe Tverskov to take possession and create an instant breakaway opportunity.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Okongwu took advantage of it and drove to the basket for a quick shot.—
Lauren Williams,
AJC.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Patriots had a busy offseason, adding top free agents wide receiver Romeo Doubs, safety Kevin Byard, edge defender Dre’Mont Jones and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, among other veterans.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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The 2022 draft was the last one to be truly wide open at the top — the Jags ended up picking edge rusher Travon Walker in a year that featured three edge rushers and two cornerbacks in the top five, and no quarterback selected until Kenny Pickett at 20.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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My colleague Nancy Youssef, a staff writer who covers the Pentagon and has been reporting on the negotiations, told me that this time, Iran has a clear upper hand.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
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The experience creep phenomenon is particularly acute in tech, which is the softest of sectors in terms of hiring, giving employers a firm upper hand.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whip hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whip%20hand. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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