upper hand
Edge in negotiations
The upper hand is a position of advantage or control over someone else: She had the upper hand in negotiations.
To gain or get the upper hand is to achieve dominance in a contest or conflict: The rebels gained the upper hand after cutting supply lines.
The image suggests one hand positioned above another, as in arm wrestling.
Boundary or sharpness
- vantagePosition of advantage
- head startBeginning advantage given
- footholdStable position for advancement
- leadDense metal, symbol Pb
benefit · asset · gain · trump card · leg up · inside track · jump · pole position
Authority to direct
- powerEnergy transfer rate
- authorityPower to enforce obedience
- commandAuthoritative instruction given
- masteryComplete skill or control
supremacy · ascendancy · dominion · hegemony · sway · grip · hold · reign
Advantage in negotiations
- position of strengthAdvantageous standing in negotiations
- cloutInformal power or punch
- influencePower to affect others
- termsConditions of an agreement
Achieving victory
- outmaneuveringDefeating through superior tactics
- outsmartingDefeating through superior intelligence
- prevailingMost common or accepted
- bestingOvercoming in competition
overtaking · surpassing · defeating · outpacing · one-upmanship · rivalry · contest
edge
Boundary or sharpness
- vantagePosition of advantage
- head startBeginning advantage given
- footholdStable position for advancement
lead · benefit · asset · gain · trump card · leg up · inside track · jump · pole position · bargaining chip
control
Authority to direct
mastery · supremacy · ascendancy · dominion · hegemony · sway · grip · hold · reign · rule
bargaining power
Advantage in negotiations
- position of strengthAdvantageous standing in negotiations
- cloutInformal power or punch
- influencePower to affect others
terms · concession · deal-making · stronghold · trump card
winning
Achieving victory
- outmaneuveringDefeating through superior tactics
- outsmartingDefeating through superior intelligence
- prevailingMost common or accepted
besting · overtaking · surpassing · defeating · outpacing · one-upmanship · rivalry · contest
- power idiomspull strings, hold sway, call the shots, throw weight around, power play
- negotiationbargaining, bargain, negotiate, mediation, compromise
- advantagesedge, leg up, head start, dominance, trump card
- dominancedominance, dominant, supremacy, superiority, ascendancy
- power metaphorsiron fist, iron grip, reins, puppet master, pulling strings
- favorable conditionsopportunity, advantage, edge, head start, leg up
upper handdisadvantage
Unfavorable circumstance or condition
losing position · back foot · short end of the stick · behind the eight ball · helplessness
upper handvulnerability
Openness to harm
weakness · powerlessness · helplessness · subjugation · subservience
upper, leverage, uppermost, underhand, overhand, uppers, high ground