We prove an abstract result ensuring that one-sided geometric control yields two-sided estimates for functions satisfying general conditions. Our findings resonate in the context of nonlinear elliptic problems, including supersolutions to fully nonlinear elliptic equations and functions in the De Giorgi class. Among the consequences of our abstract results are regularity estimates, and conditions for a continuous function to be in the class of viscosity solutions. We also prove that one-sided geometric control yields L^pL^∞-estimates. It provides a converse to the implication in the De Giorgi-Nash-Moser theory.