standpat

1 of 2

adjective

stand·pat ˈstan(d)-ˈpat

Synonyms of standpat next

: stubbornly conservative : resisting or opposing change

stand pat

2 of 2

verb

stood pat; standing pat; stands pat

intransitive verb

: to play one's hand as dealt in draw poker without drawing

: to oppose or resist change

standpatter

ˈstan(d)-ˌpa-tər

-ˈpa-tər

noun

standpattism

ˈstan(d)-ˌpa-ˌti-zəm

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

But aside from the buy-low addition of infielder Luis Urías, the Sox stood pat. —

Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2023 South Korea’s central bank stood pat on interest rates for a fifth straight time as widely expected and maintained its 2023 economic growth and inflation forecasts. —

Kwanwoo Jun, WSJ, 24 Aug. 2023 Does President Jed Hoyer believe in this team enough to stand pat or even add on? —

Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 29 July 2023 Everett and Mansfield stand pat after losing at Xaverian and Catholic Memorial, and Lincoln-Sudbury hops Methuen after a head-to-head win. —

Nate Weitzer, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023 Advertisement The Orioles stood pat, seemingly channeling their famously cautious former general manager, Pat Gillick, until acquiring former Studio City Harvard-Westlake High star Jack Flaherty from the St. Louis Cardinals a few minutes before the deadline. —

Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2023 The lack of movement to this point could also be an indication that the D-backs are backing away from buyer mode and may stand pat. —

Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 31 July 2023 Indonesia’s central bank stood pat as expected during its July policy meeting to maintain the stability of the rupiah and ensure that inflation remains under control. —

Ying Xian Wong, WSJ, 25 July 2023 European countries such as Germany and France are largely standing pat. —

David J. Lynch The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 7 Aug. 2023 See More

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.