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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
Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 9 Jan. 2026
Houston decided to stand pat instead of making a move for Kevin Durant at the deadline.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
The Bulls’ decision to stand pat at past trade deadlines wasn’t arbitrary.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Following a huge move like this, it could be assumed that the Orioles might stand pat for the rest of the offseason.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 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 10 Jan. 2026.
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stand pat
verb
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