the moral high ground
noun
: a position in which one has a moral advantage over others
These countries lost/ceded the moral high ground when they entered the war to protect their economic interests.
She believes she has the moral high ground on this issue.
Examples of the moral high ground in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There was a time in this country when the Democratic Party held the moral high ground in American politics, but those days are long gone, and one need look no farther than oyster farmer Graham Platner for proof.
—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
25 June 2026
We’re left with Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) all alone in her modern-day brothel — a dollhouse filled with shiny things and zero substance — and Lexi (Maude Apatow) once again taking the moral high ground without fully grasping why.
—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
1 June 2026
Suddenly, the neighbor with the knee-high grass had the moral high ground, and tidy lawns were cast as the bad guys.
—
Ryan Brennan
may 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 May 2026
The reunion picks up with Ashley and Wendy bickering over who has the moral high ground.
—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
The rules become optional, enforcement becomes embarrassing, and the moral high ground becomes a punchline.
—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
The civil-rights movement turned a spotlight on that shame, carrying the moral high ground by clinging to nonviolence in the face of sometimes brutal suppression, and eventually leading the way to dismantling those laws.
—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
19 Jan. 2026
Now Bari Weiss is ascending to the top of network news, and the moral high ground once bestowed on us through unspeakable suffering lies under Gaza’s rubble and mass graves.
—
Literary Hub,
1 Dec. 2025
Allies in Latin America thus helped Kennedy keep the moral high ground and portray the Soviets as unwelcome aggressors.
—
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
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Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
25 June 2026
We’re left with Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) all alone in her modern-day brothel — a dollhouse filled with shiny things and zero substance — and Lexi (Maude Apatow) once again taking the moral high ground without fully grasping why.
—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
1 June 2026
Suddenly, the neighbor with the knee-high grass had the moral high ground, and tidy lawns were cast as the bad guys.
—
Ryan Brennan
may 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 May 2026
The reunion picks up with Ashley and Wendy bickering over who has the moral high ground.
—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
The rules become optional, enforcement becomes embarrassing, and the moral high ground becomes a punchline.
—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
The civil-rights movement turned a spotlight on that shame, carrying the moral high ground by clinging to nonviolence in the face of sometimes brutal suppression, and eventually leading the way to dismantling those laws.
—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
19 Jan. 2026
Now Bari Weiss is ascending to the top of network news, and the moral high ground once bestowed on us through unspeakable suffering lies under Gaza’s rubble and mass graves.
—
Literary Hub,
1 Dec. 2025
Allies in Latin America thus helped Kennedy keep the moral high ground and portray the Soviets as unwelcome aggressors.
—
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“The moral high ground.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20moral%20high%20ground. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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