- 1located above something else, especially something of the same type or the other of a pair the upper lip the upper deck
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- 2at or near the top of something the upper arm the upper slopes of the mountain a member of the upper middle class salaries at the upper end of the pay scale There is an upper limit of $20,000 spent on any one project.
- 3(of a place) located away from the coast, on high ground or toward the north of an area the upper reaches of the river opposite lower1 Idioms
to get an advantage over someone so that you are in control of a particular situation
to keep calm and hide your feelings when you are in pain or in a difficult situation He was taught to keep a stiff upper lip and never to cry in public. Their reaction contrasts sharply with the stiff upper lip of the English.
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