whip hand
Americannoun
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the hand that holds the whip, in driving.
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an advantageous or controlling position.
She had the whip hand throughout the debate.
noun
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(in driving horses) the hand holding the whip
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advantage or dominating position
Etymology
Origin of whip hand
First recorded in 1670–80
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Liu said that the whip hand rightfully belongs to China, since its population gives it a potential consumer market “far exceeding the U.S.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 28, 2025
"The CCI has the whip hand and has, on occasions, adopted a 'take it or leave it' approach," he added.
From Reuters ● Sep. 12, 2022
Typically they are a ragtag bunch posturing to one another under the whip hand of a charismatic leader, like Stewart Rhodes — as Tuesday’s hearing revealed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2022
“The president is the only person who can sign a bill into law, so he’s the guy that ultimately holds the whip hand when it comes to this getting done.”
From New York Times ● Feb. 28, 2017
With seventy yards to go, Richardson abruptly released the saddlecloth and grabbed Woolf’s whip hand.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
