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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of pat
Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2025
The story was too pat, too earnest, too self-flattering.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2025
Tyler Dragon, Cincinnati.com, 21 Apr. 2020
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Bill de Blasio had campaigned against aggressive policing, particularly the city’s controversial policy of briefly detaining people and patting them down for weapons.
—Elizabeth Glazer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pat
Adjective
The film stars Oscar winner Brendan Fraser as Phillip Vandarploeug, an ex-pat American actor living in Tokyo.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2025
The story was too pat, too earnest, too self-flattering.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2025
Adverb
The 2016 draft was the last time the Bengals stayed pat through all seven rounds.
—Tyler Dragon, Cincinnati.com, 21 Apr. 2020
Verb
After Munich this year, Shelton patted himself on the back.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Bill de Blasio had campaigned against aggressive policing, particularly the city’s controversial policy of briefly detaining people and patting them down for weapons.
—Elizabeth Glazer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pat
Adjective
-
Researchers have been looking into ways to reduce the stubborn inflammation HIV causes in the central nervous system.—
Smita S. Iyer,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
-
The findings, published in 2025 in Brain Stimulation, point to a fundamentally new way of treating one of the most stubborn psychiatric conditions, using a miniaturized implant that delivers brief bursts of stimulation only during key moments of exposure therapy.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 June 2026
Adverb
-
One meteor that plunged into the sleepy British town of Winchcombe in 2021 — leaving a sizable dent in a family’s driveway — was found to have a D/H ratio that almost perfectly matched that of Earth’s oceans.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
12 June 2026
-
Also, Elmo perfectly illustrated why online betting needs stronger regulation, something that is currently being debated in Washington.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Those of us with a penchant for fashion have managed—not without effort—to put aside the knowing glances, caresses, and hugs to take in every detail of the look.—
Arancha Gamo,
Glamour,
7 June 2026
-
Wilhelm enters the room, removes most of his clothing and gets into bed with her, slaps her, pushes her away and then caresses her face and cradles her.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Regardless, Stanton is adamant that there is no hypothetical future in which raccoons could realistically become good house pets.—
Shoshi Parks,
Popular Science,
10 June 2026
-
Alonso was adamant that the school board should seek opportunities to either repurpose or lease properties that schools vacate, not sell them.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 June 2026
Adverb
-
Expect a white-glove experience with thoughtful, immaculately plated dishes all while dining under a ceiling of ornate blue and gold frescoes.—
Matt Ortile,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
What basically is a two-hour trailer for the rest of Anakin Skywalker’s story is kind of a mess – he was immaculately conceived?—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
The responder then bends down to gently stroke the bird before getting another idea.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
-
Mihyia Davis stroked the next pitch off Slimp’s glove in left for a double and Williams moved to third.—
Tim Willert,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Douglas County remains steadfast in its commitment to transparency and adherence to Colorado Open Meeting laws.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
-
The throughline of his life is his on-again, off-again friendship with, but also his steadfast love for a neighbor girl of the upper class, who challenges him repeatedly to become his better self.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
Adverb
-
The siblings are heartachingly real, and minor characters are finely drawn.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
-
These finely ground powders are applied directly onto an ant hill and are especially advantageous for eliminating ant hills in hard-to-reach cracks and crevices, Smith says.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pat. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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