whip hand
Upper hand, decisively
The whip hand is the position of control or advantage in a situation.
The image comes from driving horses—the hand holding the whip has the power: After the merger, the larger company had the whip hand in negotiations.
To have the whip hand is to be in command; to get the whip hand is to gain the upper position.
control
Authority to direct
mastery · grip · hold · leverage · ascendancy · superiority · dominion · supremacy · sway · influence
- advantagesedge, leverage, leg up, head start, dominance
- dominancedominance, dominant, supremacy, superiority, ascendancy
- power idiomspull strings, hold sway, call the shots, throw weight around, power play
- power metaphorsiron fist, iron grip, reins, puppet master, pulling strings
- powerauthority, electric power, nuclear power, solar power, wind power
- racing termsbackstretch, checkered flag, daily double, dead heat, exacta
whip handsubjugation
Forcing into submission
subordination · powerlessness · subservience · helplessness · servitude
whip handdisadvantage
Unfavorable circumstance or condition
weak hand · losing hand · back foot · over a barrel · behind the eight ball
hand, handle, hands, handful, whipped, handled, handling, whipping, handed