standpat

1 of 2

adjective

stand·​pat ˈstan(d)-ˈpat How to pronounce standpat (audio)
: 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 noun
standpattism 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.

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
Baseball’s absurd free agent market – one that desperately needed revamping in the last round of collective bargaining, only for the player’s union to errantly stand pat – is self correcting. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2024 The Nuggets explored the market but ultimately stood pat due to a combination of factors that limited their ability to execute a beneficial deal. Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2024 And the Reds aren’t taking any victory laps in January – nor are the Cubs planning to stand pat. The Enquirer, 4 Jan. 2024 Adams has essentially stood pat this season in making just one trade in acquiring fourth-line forward Eric Robinson from Columbus for a conditional seventh-round pick. John Wawrow, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 Boys’ volleyball preview (Nick Koza) Sean Kelly, the best 18-year-old boys’ volleyball player in America, is not standing pat on his talents. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2024 The Kings stood pat as the NBA trade deadline came and went Thursday, keeping the current roster intact in hopes of making another run to the playoffs. Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 9 Feb. 2024 Second, none of the seasons in which the Sox stood pat ended particularly well. Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2023 This season has indicated what the offseason tried to tell us: That the top-tier teams in the conference had noticeably improved while the Heat, thanks to the Lillard failure, stood pat. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'standpat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of standpat was in 1865

Dictionary Entries Near standpat

Cite this Entry

“Standpat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standpat. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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 noun
standpattism noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!