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
Weekend Brief spoke with a number of players and observers in the worlds in which Google operates to learn about the problems, possibilities, and potential pitfalls of ending Google’s upper hand.
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Peter Green, Quartz, 21 Sep. 2024
And the conflict could remain a stalemate for years to come, with no side gaining the decisive upper hand.
—Andrew J. Tabler, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2013
Recent Supreme Court decisions that weakened federal agencies' regulatory discretion could give insurers an upper hand in court.
—Maya Goldman, Axios, 9 Sep. 2024
Despite the progress throughout the years, white people have always and continue to have a financial upper hand in society.
—Giana Levy, refinery29.com, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for upper hand 
Peter Green, Quartz, 21 Sep. 2024
And the conflict could remain a stalemate for years to come, with no side gaining the decisive upper hand.
—Andrew J. Tabler, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2013
Recent Supreme Court decisions that weakened federal agencies' regulatory discretion could give insurers an upper hand in court.
—Maya Goldman, Axios, 9 Sep. 2024
Despite the progress throughout the years, white people have always and continue to have a financial upper hand in society.
—Giana Levy, refinery29.com, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for upper hand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upper hand
Noun
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But that is becoming its strength: the G-20 has a comparative advantage in conferring legitimacy to collective action in an era when many global South states feel that the G-7 is no longer fit for purpose and efforts to reform the UN Security Council’s membership have hit a brick wall.Leslie Vinjamuri, Foreign Affairs, 15 Nov. 2024
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After the margin shrunk to a few hundred votes on Election Day, Campos now holds a 2,442-vote advantage after the release of the most recent ballot results.Devan Patel, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Greg Alder has had great success growing raspberries on the eastern edge of large trees.Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 14 Nov. 2024
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Ribbons marked the edge of the area that will be logged.April Ehrlich, ProPublica, 12 Nov. 2024
Noun
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And for people who are still in the path of disaster, Hecht said, pay them to move to high ground.Peter Green, Quartz, 14 Oct. 2024
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Some cooked food on charcoal grills or hiked to high ground in the hopes of finding a signal to call loved ones.Erik Verduzco and Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The movie has been selected as France’s official submission, giving it an inside track for the international Oscar.Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Oct. 2024
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While a small number of Democrats have advocated an open, competitive process, Harris appeared to have an inside track Monday to quickly securing the nomination ahead of the party’s convention next month.Toluse Olorunnipa, Washington Post, 22 July 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near upper hand
Cite this Entry
“Upper hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upper%20hand. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
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