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

While home prices are still rising across the U.S., driven by an ongoing supply shortage, in the two states with most of the new construction approvals in recent years—Florida and Texas—buyers are finally getting the upper hand. —David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025

As active as Morrow can be on the glass, ultimately, the Bruins would have the upper hand in that battle. —Chantel Jennings, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025

Firefighters in the Carolinas appeared to be getting the upper hand on a bloom of wildfires that erupted over the weekend, even as a few new ones started amid the region's ongoing dry spell. —Dennis Romero, NBC News, 4 Mar. 2025

In the third installment of the trilogy, the Panthers got the upper hand, securing a dominant 79-50 victory on Monday, Feb. 18, at Arlington Martin High School. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for the upper hand

• analysand
• misunderstand
• ampersand
• beforehand
• behindhand
• bottomland
• contraband
• countermand
• dixieland
• fairyland
• fatherland
• firebrand