standpat

adjective

stand·pat | \ ˈstan(d)-ˈpat

Definition of standpat

(Entry 1 of 2)

: stubbornly conservative : resisting or opposing change

stand pat

verb

Definition of stand pat (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

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

2 : to oppose or resist change

Other Words from standpat Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about standpat

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Other Words from standpat

Verb

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

Morey certainly isn’t the type of general manager to stand pat, but bringing back all of his key players while adding talent is going to be a tricky balancing act. — Rohan Nadkarni, SI.com, "The Rockets May Not Get A Better Chance to Beat the Warriors," 29 May 2018 The Nationals traded away reliever Brandon Kintzler but otherwise stood pat at the deadline. — Charles Odum, The Seattle Times, "Gausman helps Braves ‘hit all the boxes’ for NL East push," 31 July 2018 Even if Merck stands pat, Elanco’s strong debut suggests animal health will continue to be an investor’s best friend. — Charley Grant, WSJ, "Animal-Health Stocks Will Continue to Shine," 24 Sep. 2018 That would not have been the case if Brett Brown and his front office had elected to draft Bridges and stand pat. — David Murphy, Philly.com, "How much value does the Sixers' newly acquired first-round draft pick have? More than you might think | David Murphy," 22 June 2018 And so by standing pat, Joyner’s looking at either $11.287 million and free agency in March or almost $25 million over two years, then free agency in 2020. — Albert Breer, SI.com, "The Kirk Cousins Effect," 28 June 2018 But if Phoenix stands pat, Harrison likely makes the team as the third point guard behind Brandon Knight and rookie Elie Okobo. — Scott Bordow, azcentral, "Phoenix Suns' summer-league takeaways: Deandre Ayton's progress, efforts of Davon Reed, Shaq Harrison," 13 July 2018 Many economists expect the BOJ to stand pat for now. — Megumi Fujikawa, WSJ, "Bank of Japan Bucks Global Trend of Monetary Tightening," 15 June 2018 In the 2018 draft, Miami had the ability to boldly trade up into the top 10 and get a QB, but stood pat while Arizona and Buffalo did just that. — Greg Cote, miamiherald, "Dolphins have fallen to last in AFC East by the one gauge that should concern fans most | Miami Herald," 30 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'standpat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.