as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
on the issue of raising taxes the governor stands pat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in perfectly
without any flaws or errors
after months of practicing for the competition, the cheerleaders have their moves down pat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to caress
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner
affectionately patted the baby on the head
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pat
Noah Berlatsky, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2022
There’s a 1785 pastel portrait by Irish artist Hugh Douglas Hamilton, depicting the English bon-vivant ex-pat, George Clavering Cowper, the 3rd Earl Cowper, who spent his adulthood in Italy as a patron of science and the arts.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 12 Jan. 2023
Multiple Authors, House Beautiful, 1 May 2010
Using a slotted spoon, transfer asparagus to a bowl of ice water to cool; pat dry.
—Bon Appetit, 14 May 2018
Eric Cortellessa, Time, 10 June 2025
Remove the chicken and onions from the marinade onto a baking sheet or platter lined with a paper towel and pat dry.
—Georgeanne Brennan, Mercury News, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pat
Adjective
The balance changes from story to story, and sometimes the genre conventions feel too pat, as genre conventions will.
—Noah Berlatsky, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2022
There’s a 1785 pastel portrait by Irish artist Hugh Douglas Hamilton, depicting the English bon-vivant ex-pat, George Clavering Cowper, the 3rd Earl Cowper, who spent his adulthood in Italy as a patron of science and the arts.
—Steven Litt, cleveland, 12 Jan. 2023
Adverb
When the grill is nice and hot, pat dry the scallops with a paper towel.
—Multiple Authors, House Beautiful, 1 May 2010
Using a slotted spoon, transfer asparagus to a bowl of ice water to cool; pat dry.
—Bon Appetit, 14 May 2018
Verb
Before boarding, guards patted each down, looking for hidden weapons, unlocking and relocking their restraints, and directing them to make the awkward ascent up the stairs to the plane.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 10 June 2025
Remove the chicken and onions from the marinade onto a baking sheet or platter lined with a paper towel and pat dry.
—Georgeanne Brennan, Mercury News, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pat
Adjective
-
All of which can be employed by Musk or anyone else using AI to target us with false political advertising tailored to our most stubborn biases, further dividing us, manipulating elections and solidifying what has already become a fascist state.—
Sal Recchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 June 2025
-
Then Curry, rattled by the monumental reverb of Kyrie’s shot, hurried into a stubborn approach on the ensuing possession, missed a desperate 3 over Kevin Love, who used his length and a rare display of defensive intensity to deny Curry a good look.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
Adverb
-
This adaptation aligns perfectly with our mission to bring underrepresented perspectives to the screen through bold, engaging, and entertaining stories.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
23 June 2025
-
Not a superstar but, like Happ in LF, perfectly sufficient and acceptable at first.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
Verb
-
There’s a shot of Michele caressing her face, and another of Christopher fingering his wedding ring.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
28 May 2025
-
But Gallardo clandestinely documented her experience there; in the exhibition, a short, lo-fi video shows her hands slowly caressing those of Estela, an ailing senior citizen and former street worker who lived at Casa Xochiquetzal.—
Fabiola Iza,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Football has typically accepted these lapses and quietly moved on, adamant that the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PED) is primarily a problem for other sports.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
Green groups are adamant EVs should be the only option.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
In the now-viral video, Otis lies limp and unimpressed while his dad, Jake, strokes his leg with a concerned arm around him.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
-
These conversations showed me how easily a line of code can stroke an ego, calm anxiety, and mimic devotion.—
Cathy Hackl,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
Despite setbacks — including talks of a walkout, which stalled when leadership got wind of the strategic move — the cheerleaders remained steadfast in their pursuit.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
25 June 2025
-
Hamas has remained steadfast against Israel’s attacks in Gaza.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
24 June 2025
Adverb
-
In stunningly lyrical prose, Johnson pays a finely hewn attention to that which our wasteful, capitalistic society discards and collapses the dichotomies of high and low art.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 June 2025
-
This comforting fiction does eventually fall apart, but Familiar Touch is finely wrought enough to not present this as a comeuppance or simply a disaster.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
As she was cleared of the most serious charges, Read hugged her lawyers — as booming cheers could be heard from the crowd gathered outside.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
18 June 2025
-
After winning, Spaun approached and hugged them, took one of the girls into his arms, and gave his wife a quick peck on the lips.—
Savannah Leigh Richardson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pat. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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