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If you stand pat in draw poker you're betting on the cards in your hand being better than any you're likely to draw. It didn't take long for stand pat to move from the poker table, where it first appeared in the late 1800s, to the realm of politics; by the early 20th century, to stand pat was to oppose any change in U.S. tariff policy. The term continues to be used mainly in U.S. English, where it's applied to everything from a coach's decision not to change out players during a game to a homeowner's decision not to refinance. The nouns standpatter ("one who resists or opposes change") and standpattism ("resistance to change" or "reluctance to take positive action") are also used, although generally only in political contexts.
Synonyms
Examples of standpat in a Sentence
New York Times, 30 Oct. 2024
But nobody should be surprised if Baltimore stands pat here unless a significant injury arises.
—Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024
By standing pat for a fourth straight meeting Wednesday, the Fed provides another reprieve to consumers who still face higher borrowing costs for credit cards, adjustable-rate mortgages and other loans since officials launched their inflation fight in early 2022.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024
Malaysia’s central bank is seen standing pat on its benchmark rate on Wednesday.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Standpat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standpat. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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stand pat
verb
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