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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
Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2024
Rather than stand pat and add another young prospect to pair with Wembanyama, Castle and Devin Vassell, the Spurs traded it to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 2030 first-round pick swap and an unprotected 2031 first-round pick.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024
The only exceptions are Leger, Redfield & Wilton Strategies and Ipsos/ABC News, whose post-debate polls showed Harris losing 1 point, standing pat and standing pat, respectively, compared with their last surveys.
—G. Elliott Morris, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2024
The other side: Martinez and the Board of Education have stood pat against the mayor and the union, pushing back against the idea of borrowing money to pay for parts of the budget.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 4 Sep. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near standpat
Cite this Entry
“Standpat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standpat. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
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stand pat
verb
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