to get the upper hand
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To obtain the mastery. To give one's hand upon something. To take one's oath on it; to pledge one's honour to keep the promise.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to get the upper hand” mean?
To obtain the mastery. To give one's hand upon something. To take one's oath on it; to pledge one's honour to keep the promise.
Is “to get the upper hand” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.