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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
Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
But shouldn’t California be doing more on climate, not standing pat?
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2025
The Ravens routinely stand pat and let good players come to them.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
If rates go up, the issuer stands pat, leaving the buyer stuck for another 20 years at a below-market yield.
—William Baldwin, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for standpat
Cite this Entry
“Standpat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standpat. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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stand pat
verb
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