upper hand

noun

1. the dominating or controlling position; advantage.

   to have the upper hand in the fight.

upper hand

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of upper hand¹

First recorded in 1475–85

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

"The crowd in Chicago were rough and tough but for the most part the Americans had the upper hand," he said.

From BBC

Miami always seems to have the upper hand on New England at home, and the Patriots still lack weapons and protection.

From Los Angeles Times

Labor leaders and business groups, looking to gain the upper hand, have submitted proposals that, if approved by voters, would disrupt the city in enormous ways.

From Los Angeles Times

In their first confrontation, which occurs inside the wrecked ship and near a clutch of xenomorph eggs, Kirsh and the Hybrids have the upper hand.

From Salon

As the Allies gained the upper hand, the names of certain cities went into history for their bomb-generated firestorms and then radioactive infernos.

From Salon

Related Words

• advantage 
• dominance 
• leverage 
• superiority 
• supremacy