the upper hand
noun
: the position of having power or being in control in a particular situation
He always has to have the upper hand.
—sometimes used figurativelyThe infection was gaining the upper hand and the patient's condition was deteriorating.
Examples of the upper hand in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For decades, agribusiness has had the upper hand in this conflict.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Although Western analysts have suggested in recent assessments that Russia may be gaining the upper hand over Ukraine, that trend can be reversed.
—Timothy Frye, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2024
In 2023, Ukraine gained the upper hand in the drone war by deploying the compact racing drones known as FPVs, for First Person Views, in large quantities.
—Yurii Shyvala, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Both teams landed blows trying to get the upper hand but, as so often has been the case, the two sides could not be separated.
—Thomas Schlachter, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024
Every stat was at a premium in Saturday's semifinal, but the Wildcats had the upper hand on the boards, grabbing 21 to the Lions' 17.
—Brendan Connelly, The Enquirer, 28 Jan. 2024
Gas prices have always been a conversation for many drivers, but Californians have the upper hand when discussing high gas prices.
—USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
Things have been rough all around for the last year or so in the housing world, but sellers seem to have the upper hand because of how tight supply is.
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
While Moscow appears clearly to have the upper hand in its ground campaign, Kyiv’s forces have enjoyed sustained successes targeting Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, in either missile strikes or sea drone attacks.
—Andrew Carey, Maria Kostenko and Josh Pennington, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Although Western analysts have suggested in recent assessments that Russia may be gaining the upper hand over Ukraine, that trend can be reversed.
—Timothy Frye, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2024
In 2023, Ukraine gained the upper hand in the drone war by deploying the compact racing drones known as FPVs, for First Person Views, in large quantities.
—Yurii Shyvala, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
Both teams landed blows trying to get the upper hand but, as so often has been the case, the two sides could not be separated.
—Thomas Schlachter, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024
Every stat was at a premium in Saturday's semifinal, but the Wildcats had the upper hand on the boards, grabbing 21 to the Lions' 17.
—Brendan Connelly, The Enquirer, 28 Jan. 2024
Gas prices have always been a conversation for many drivers, but Californians have the upper hand when discussing high gas prices.
—USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
Things have been rough all around for the last year or so in the housing world, but sellers seem to have the upper hand because of how tight supply is.
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
While Moscow appears clearly to have the upper hand in its ground campaign, Kyiv’s forces have enjoyed sustained successes targeting Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, in either missile strikes or sea drone attacks.
—Andrew Carey, Maria Kostenko and Josh Pennington, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the upper hand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the upper hand
Cite this Entry
“The upper hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20upper%20hand. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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