as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
unquestionably the company has the whip hand in negotiations with the labor union
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Recent Examples of whip hand
Microsoft’s whip hand, more than anything, else, comes down to cold hard cash.
—
Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2023
The failure of the ‘red wave’ to materialize means that an old-fashioned socialist will have the whip hand over health care for the next two years.
—Joel Zinberg, National Review, 30 Nov. 2022
The media have the whip hand over Democrats, and the results are a horror.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 27 Sep. 2021
Hence, despite Twitter's poison pill and a staggered board, Musk always had the whip hand.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2022
Amazon has been using the cameras to monitor social distancing between workers during the pandemic — just one of the ways in which computers hold the whip hand in this workplace.
—Sarah O'Connor, Ars Technica, 19 Mar. 2022
In a chilling report released a few weeks ago about Hollywood’s subordinate relationship to Beijing, PEN America described the forces that have given China the whip hand.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 9 Sep. 2020
The president will be held responsible for whatever happens, so House Democrats have the whip hand in any negotiation.
—Ryan Cooper, TheWeek, 17 Mar. 2020
In fact, from the start the EU saw itself as holding whip hand in the talks, convinced that a failure, while bad for both sides, would be worse for the Brits.
—Laurence Norman, WSJ, 14 Dec. 2018
Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2023
The failure of the ‘red wave’ to materialize means that an old-fashioned socialist will have the whip hand over health care for the next two years.
—Joel Zinberg, National Review, 30 Nov. 2022
The media have the whip hand over Democrats, and the results are a horror.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 27 Sep. 2021
Hence, despite Twitter's poison pill and a staggered board, Musk always had the whip hand.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2022
Amazon has been using the cameras to monitor social distancing between workers during the pandemic — just one of the ways in which computers hold the whip hand in this workplace.
—Sarah O'Connor, Ars Technica, 19 Mar. 2022
In a chilling report released a few weeks ago about Hollywood’s subordinate relationship to Beijing, PEN America described the forces that have given China the whip hand.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 9 Sep. 2020
The president will be held responsible for whatever happens, so House Democrats have the whip hand in any negotiation.
—Ryan Cooper, TheWeek, 17 Mar. 2020
In fact, from the start the EU saw itself as holding whip hand in the talks, convinced that a failure, while bad for both sides, would be worse for the Brits.
—Laurence Norman, WSJ, 14 Dec. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whip hand
Noun
-
Gemini is then able to engage in conversation about the advantages of potential options.—
Paul Monckton,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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Here, the compact yet powerful bruiser’s professional training and quick thinking give him the advantage over bigger and better-armed adversaries, turning anything, from a bucket of nails to a stray sledgehammer, into a deadly weapon.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Underlying these advances are robust AI infrastructures, such as Stargate and the AI RAN Alliance, which enhance edge computing capabilities.—
Cathy Hackl,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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In addition, the Pentagon's future stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, will have many of the same cutting edge technologies in advanced materials, AI, propulsion and stealth.—
TARA COPP THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
arkansasonline.com,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Firefighters on Sunday began to gain an upper hand on more than 170 wildfires in North and South Carolina that had prompted evacuations, officials said.—
Amy Graff,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2025
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Listen to this article GAINESVILLE — Ailing and unable to gain an upper hand on Vanderbilt, No. 6 Florida turned to a 20-year-old sophomore from Slovenia to scratch out a critical SEC win.—
Edgar Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whip hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whip%20hand. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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