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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
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
But with the Sharks in the mix for their first playoff appearance since the spring of 2019, when Ferraro was still at UMass-Amherst, this trade deadline for the Sharks could go in any number of directions, with Grier choosing to sell, add, or stand pat.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
Minnesota had mostly stood pat, adding only bottom six forwards Justin Brazeau from Boston and Gustav Nyquist from Nashville.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 2 Mar. 2026
The Predators’ desire to maybe stand pat also would affect the Wild’s interest in Ryan O’Reilly.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 1 Mar. 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 12 Mar. 2026.
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stand pat
verb
