standpat

1 of 2

adjective

stand·​pat ˈstan(d)-ˈpat 

: stubbornly conservative : resisting or opposing change

stand pat

2 of 2

verb

stood pat; standing pat; stands pat

intransitive verb

1

: to play one's hand as dealt in draw poker without drawing

2

: to oppose or resist change

standpatter

ˈstan(d)-ˌpa-tər 

-ˈpa-tər

noun

standpattism

ˈstan(d)-ˌpa-ˌti-zəm 

noun

Did you know?

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

Adjective

• archconservative
• brassbound
• button-down
• buttoned-down
• conservative
• die-hard
• hidebound
• mossbacked
• old-fashioned
• old-line
• old-school
• orthodox
• paleoconservative
• reactionary
• traditional
• traditionalistic
• ultraconservative
• unprogressive

Examples of standpat in a Sentence

Adjective

the standpat chefs were having none of this low-calorie stuff that the food police were pushing

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Had the Timberwolves stood pat with Towns, they would be locked into second-apron hell for the foreseeable future. —Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024

The Wolverines decided to stand pat with Alex Orji, Jack Tuttle and Davis Warren and let the competition carry into preseason camp. —Austin Meek, The Athletic, 20 Aug. 2024

The Chargers appeared to be in a good position to acquire extra picks and trade down, but decided to stand pat. —Joe Reedy, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2024

Mailbag Meet the former Vikings and Packers visionary known as the grandfather of NFL analytics Packers at the trade deadline: Will Green Bay stand pat or is a deal possible? —New York Times, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

pat entry 4

First Known Use

Adjective

1893, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

stand pat

verb

1

: to play one's hand as dealt in draw poker without drawing

2

: to oppose or resist change

standpatter

ˈstan(d)-ˌpat-ər 

noun

standpattism

-ˌpat-ˌiz-əm 

noun