as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
finally gained the upper hand in the argument
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Recent Examples of upper hand
These Democrats believe that the mayhem caused by ICE’s raids gives the party an uncharacteristic upper hand over Republicans on immigration—and that demands to eliminate the agency erase that leverage.
—
Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026
There are a limited number of sites these facilities can go, giving local governments an upper hand in negotiations.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Brouk & Co Pearl Travel Jewelry Case Anything from Oprah’s Favorites list already has an upper hand in White Elephant, and this travel jewelry case proves why.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 20 Dec. 2025
But the victory actually gives them an upper hand over the New England Patriots, who were enjoying their bye week.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upper hand
Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026
There are a limited number of sites these facilities can go, giving local governments an upper hand in negotiations.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Brouk & Co Pearl Travel Jewelry Case Anything from Oprah’s Favorites list already has an upper hand in White Elephant, and this travel jewelry case proves why.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 20 Dec. 2025
But the victory actually gives them an upper hand over the New England Patriots, who were enjoying their bye week.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upper hand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upper hand
Noun
-
Mullins banked in a 3-pointer in the final minute to counter a small run from the Illini and send the Huskies into the break with a 37-29 advantage.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Leading 46-44 a few minutes into the fourth quarter, South Carolina scored five straight points, capped by Makeer’s 3-pointer to extend the advantage to seven.—
Doug Feinberg,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rainwater tends to accumulate at the road edges.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Rainwater tends to gather along the road edges.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Both parties are vying for the ethical high ground before the November elections.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Avoid open spaces, isolated objects, high ground and metallic objects.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upper hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upper%20hand. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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