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
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 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
-
Defending Houston Open champion Min Woo Lee and Michael Thorbjornsen are both at 12-under 198 through three rounds, meaning Woodland, at 18-under, has a 6-stroke advantage over the third-place golfers.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Led by McKenney and Gayle, the Wolverines (34-3) enjoyed a 33-6 advantage in bench points.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
When looking at the largest metro areas, the fastest growing counties tended to be on the outer edges.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The Chiefs have now turned their attention to the secondary waves of free agency while looking ahead to the draft — with top needs at cornerback, edge and offensive tackle, by my estimation.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As this battle plays out, some experts say Anthropic would probably have an upper hand in court.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
This approach could transform potential adversaries into advocates, giving leadership an upper hand when activist pressure mounts.—
Sam Wolf,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whip hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whip%20hand. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
