upper hand

NOUN

major advantage

Synonyms

STRONGEST

advantage dominance leverage superiority supremacy

WEAK

authority benefit break control driver's seat edge favor gain help improvement lead leg up rule trump hand whip hand

Antonyms

STRONGEST

disadvantage subservience

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.

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

From Slate • Apr. 8, 2026

And now, experts broadly agree that when it comes to so-called AI "brains", the US has the upper hand.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

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

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

As this battle plays out, some experts say Anthropic would probably have an upper hand in court.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

For a few glorious days I had the upper hand.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge