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
After days of multiple wildfires across Southern California in extreme heat, a drop in temperatures finally gave crews a chance to gain the upper hand, though lingering risks remained, officials said.
—
Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2024
Firefighters battling the blazes, all in the mountains east of Los Angeles, took advantage of Wednesday's cooler weather to slowly gain the upper hand.
—CBS News, 12 Sep. 2024
Contrasting with Joe Biden Harris gained the upper hand in the debate by constantly needling Trump on issues large and small, delivering somber commentary on his threat to democracy alongside mocking remarks about his obsession with Hannibal Lecter and windmills.
—Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024
Trump continues to have the upper hand on many of the fundamentals in this election — he’s trusted more on the economy, immigration and how to handle the Middle East.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the upper hand 
Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2024
Firefighters battling the blazes, all in the mountains east of Los Angeles, took advantage of Wednesday's cooler weather to slowly gain the upper hand.
—CBS News, 12 Sep. 2024
Contrasting with Joe Biden Harris gained the upper hand in the debate by constantly needling Trump on issues large and small, delivering somber commentary on his threat to democracy alongside mocking remarks about his obsession with Hannibal Lecter and windmills.
—Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024
Trump continues to have the upper hand on many of the fundamentals in this election — he’s trusted more on the economy, immigration and how to handle the Middle East.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the upper hand
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the upper hand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“The upper hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20upper%20hand. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.
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