have the 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.

For industry insiders, "Sinners" may have the upper hand with SAG-AFTRA, which represents more than 160,000 members -- but that may not hold true in two weeks for the Academy Awards.

From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026

“As soon as they think they have the upper hand, they’ll tell us to go away.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

For the first few months Grenell seemed to have the upper hand: There were prisoner exchanges, deportation flights, Chevron’s license was renewed.

From Slate • Jan. 6, 2026

The German would have the upper hand in a rally and immediately become too passive, allowing Sinner to unleash and take control of the point.

From BBC • Nov. 12, 2025

But Richie Dixon always seemed to have the upper hand.

From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz