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 figuratively
The 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
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.
Russia’s subsequent full-scale invasion has largely degraded into a battlefield stalemate, with Moscow’s and Kyiv’s forces vying for the upper hand, though the two sides have recently intensified their aerial attacks on one another. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026 Over the past several months, both Iran and the United States have claimed the upper hand. — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026 For the first time since the 1980s, shooters have regained the upper hand from netminders in determining outcomes at the NHL level. — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The teams on Tuesday went held a joint practice in El Segundo, with the Chargers reportedly holding the upper hand. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the upper hand

Rhymes for the upper hand

See All Rhymes for the upper hand

Browse Nearby Words

the upper crust
the upper hand
the upshot
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The upper hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20upper%20hand. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All