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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.
Examples of standpat in a Sentence
Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Also guilty of standing pat with no reason was New Orleans, another franchise infamous for questionable decision-making.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 6 Feb. 2026
Spurs center Victor Wemabanyama stands behind the Spurs front office's decision to stand pat at the NBA trade deadline.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 6 Feb. 2026
Grier said last month that the decision to sell or stand pat will likely be his toughest as the deadline approaches.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for standpat
Cite this Entry
“Standpat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standpat. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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stand pat
verb
