as in advantage
the more favorable condition or position in a competition
finally gained the upper hand in the argument
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of upper hand
Winds poised to intensify, complicating LA wildfire battle Efforts to gain an upper hand against the deadly infernos continue into Monday amid ominous new wind warnings threatening Southern California communities.
—
Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2025
This is particularly so for tailored clothing, where menswear has enjoyed an enduring upper hand.
—Julian Randall, Essence, 9 Jan. 2025
Russia had the clear upper hand in Syria, and Erdogan saw no choice but to work with President Vladimir Putin.
—Gonul Tol, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2024
And the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime only strengthens Israel’s upper hand over Iran.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for upper hand
Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2025
This is particularly so for tailored clothing, where menswear has enjoyed an enduring upper hand.
—Julian Randall, Essence, 9 Jan. 2025
Russia had the clear upper hand in Syria, and Erdogan saw no choice but to work with President Vladimir Putin.
—Gonul Tol, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2024
And the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime only strengthens Israel’s upper hand over Iran.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for upper hand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upper hand
Noun
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Another avenue for lawsuits against non-generative AI use is legal protections for trade secrets; trade secrets, which provide a competitive business advantage, are not known or shared with the public and reflect efforts designed to keep information secret.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
18 Feb. 2025
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As industries across manufacturing, energy, and logistics embrace this transformation, the stakes for competitive advantage have never been higher.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The Pirates got to almost every loose ball and played with an edge that was nowhere to be found for the Huskies.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2025
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There was a pervasive sense of indignation from current and former European officials, who have funneled significant aid to Ukraine and are deeply worried about how a ceasefire deal could impact the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) eastern edge.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Critically, Israel established strategic control over the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, a strategic high ground at the base of the Anti-Lebanon mountains that was part of the lands of the Tribe of Manasseh in Ancient Israel.—
Bassem Eid,
New York Daily News,
2 Jan. 2025
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The Spanish government sent emergency alerts on Tuesday asking people to stay indoors or seek high ground.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN,
31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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There are three young position players — Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch and Miguel Amaya — who are certain to be on the Opening Day roster, plus Matt Shaw, who has an inside track.—
The Athletic MLB Staff,
The Athletic,
12 Feb. 2025
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Big business has an inside track in the second Trump presidency, and those with a stake in those businesses have reason to rejoice.—
Jeff Sommer,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upper hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upper%20hand. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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