the upper hand
noun
: the position of having power or being in control in a particular situation
He always has to have the upper hand.
—sometimes used figurativelyThe infection was gaining the upper hand and the patient's condition was deteriorating.
Examples of the upper hand in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Just as firefighters were getting the upper hand on multiple major wildfires burning across California, two new blazes broke out and rapidly spread overnight, dealing additional challenges to the crews battling the flames, authorities said.
—
Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 18 June 2024
But by about 4 p.m., firefighters gained the upper hand and soon stopped flames from destroying more land.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 17 June 2024
China will almost assuredly have the upper hand in the future of energy production.
—Bradley Brownell / Jalopnik, Quartz, 17 June 2024
In recent months, the Russians have had the upper hand, destroying more communities as their army seems to stagger inexorably forward.
—Marco Hernandez, New York Times, 3 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for the upper hand 
Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 18 June 2024
But by about 4 p.m., firefighters gained the upper hand and soon stopped flames from destroying more land.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 17 June 2024
China will almost assuredly have the upper hand in the future of energy production.
—Bradley Brownell / Jalopnik, Quartz, 17 June 2024
In recent months, the Russians have had the upper hand, destroying more communities as their army seems to stagger inexorably forward.
—Marco Hernandez, New York Times, 3 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for the upper hand
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the upper hand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“The upper hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20upper%20hand. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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