upper hand

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.

“Iran’s decisions show they believe they have the upper hand, with Trump deterred from renewing the fighting,” said Ofer Guterman, a senior researcher at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

"Russia will very likely eventually develop countermeasures so Ukraine's international partners have a rare and temporary opportunity to exploit favourable battlefield dynamics while Ukraine has the upper hand."

From BBC • May 30, 2026

And the Iranians will come into the talks thinking they have the upper hand.

From Slate • Apr. 8, 2026

A scarcity of talent has, on balance, given workers the upper hand over their employers.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

And just like that, Jule had the upper hand.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart