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
And while Trump may be calling the shots in the trade tensions between the two countries, in the World Series, Canada has the upper hand for now.
—
Michael Collins, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
In today’s market, buyers have the upper hand, so sellers may not be able to save much here.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Finally, Aleah and Tom end up at the house, slowly sneaking around and trying to maintain the upper hand in a dazzling shoot-out.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
The Knights have had the upper hand in the past two meetings and will look to continue that trend.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the upper hand
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Michael Collins, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
In today’s market, buyers have the upper hand, so sellers may not be able to save much here.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Finally, Aleah and Tom end up at the house, slowly sneaking around and trying to maintain the upper hand in a dazzling shoot-out.
—Grace Byron, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
The Knights have had the upper hand in the past two meetings and will look to continue that trend.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 29 Oct. 2025.
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