Upper Hand

Pronunciation: /ˈʌpər hænd/

Definitions of upper hand

noun a position of advantage or control

Example Sentences

A1 In the game of rock-paper-scissors, having the upper hand means you are winning.

A2 During negotiations, it is important to have the upper hand to get the best deal.

B1 The company always tries to maintain the upper hand in the market by offering innovative products.

B2 In a legal dispute, having a skilled lawyer can give you the upper hand in court.

C1 The skilled chess player always has the upper hand in a match against a beginner.

C2 After years of experience in the industry, she had the upper hand in negotiations with competitors.

verb to gain control or advantage over someone or something

Example Sentences

A1 He always tries to have the upper hand in arguments.

A2 She managed to gain the upper hand in negotiations.

B1 The team worked together to get the upper hand in the competition.

B2 The company's innovative strategy gave them the upper hand in the market.

C1 Through careful planning and execution, they were able to maintain the upper hand in the industry.

C2 His sharp business acumen allowed him to consistently have the upper hand in all negotiations.

adjective higher in position, rank, or importance

Example Sentences

A1 She always has the upper hand in games of rock-paper-scissors.

A2 The team with the upper hand scored the winning goal.

B1 Having the upper hand in negotiations can lead to a better deal.

B2 The company gained the upper hand in the market by launching a successful advertising campaign.

C1 The politician's clever tactics gave him the upper hand in the election.

C2 Through strategic planning, the general ensured his army always had the upper hand in battle.

Examples of upper hand in a Sentence

formal After careful analysis, it was clear that our team had the upper hand in the negotiation.

informal We totally have the upper hand in this situation, don't worry.

slang We're totally crushing it, we've got the upper hand for sure.

figurative In the game of chess, having control of the center of the board gives you the upper hand.

Grammatical Forms of upper hand

• past tense: had the upper hand
• plural: upper hands
• comparative: more upper hand
• superlative: most upper hand
• present tense: has the upper hand
• future tense: will have the upper hand
• perfect tense: have had the upper hand
• continuous tense: is having the upper hand
• singular: upper hand
• positive degree: upper hand
• infinitive: to have the upper hand
• gerund: having the upper hand
• participle: having had the upper hand

Origin and Evolution of upper hand

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The origin of the phrase 'upper hand' can be traced back to medieval times when hand-to-hand combat was a common form of conflict resolution.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase 'upper hand' has come to mean having a position of advantage or control in a situation, beyond just physical combat.