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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
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
Moscow is unlikely to stand pat.
—Tom Yulsman, Time, 23 Feb. 2026
Pohlad specifically mentioned the 2023 trade deadline — the Twins were in first place by a slim margin but essentially stood pat — and the 2023 offseason when ownership slashed payroll in response to the team’s swelling debt.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 16 Feb. 2026
The Kings otherwise stood pat amid rumors that had swirled involving moving center Domantas Sabonis to the Toronto Raptors and being in the mix for Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 7 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 3 Mar. 2026.
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stand pat
verb
