upper hand

American  

noun

1. the dominating or controlling position; advantage.

   to have the upper hand in the fight.

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upper hand British  

noun

1. the position of control; advantage (esp in the phrases have or get the upper hand )

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upper hand Idioms  

1. Also, whip hand. A dominating or controlling position, as in Once you let Jeff get the upper hand there'll be no stopping him, or When it comes to checkers, my son-in-law generally has the whip hand. The first term alludes to an ancient game in which each player in turn grasps a stick with one hand, beginning from the bottom, and the last who can put his hand at the top wins. Its figurative use dates from the late 1400s. The variant alludes to the driver who holds the whip in a horse-drawn vehicle; it was being used figuratively by the late 1600s.

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Etymology

Origin of upper hand

First recorded in 1475–85

Example Sentences

The fire briefly threatened homes in the area before firefighters were able to gain the upper hand, the department said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026

He added: "More than that, you were the dominant member. It was about getting the upper hand."

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

With Rhaenyra’s dragons on their side, the Velaryon armada should have the upper hand.

From Salon • Jun. 21, 2026

Google might have the upper hand, Salmon notes.

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

Blanca was always calm, especially when she had the upper hand.

From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez

Related Words

• advantage
• dominance
• leverage
• superiority
• supremacy