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
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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
Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
Just days after Hollywood patted itself on the back at last week’s Academy Awards, the movie industry got a kick in the teeth from an unlikely source — an actor who’s been dead for nearly a year.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 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
While most recipes dollop the biscuits on top, this dough is patted into a rough circle and scored into scone-like wedges.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
Just days after Hollywood patted itself on the back at last week’s Academy Awards, the movie industry got a kick in the teeth from an unlikely source — an actor who’s been dead for nearly a year.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pat
Adjective
-
Data readiness, security, integrations, workflow redesign, and building human skills remain stubborn bottlenecks for true AI implementation.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Michigan made only two three-pointers all night but still muscled its way to a 69-63 victory over stingy, stubborn Connecticut.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
In the regional final against Notre Dame, Heckel drove past her defender and hit a falling-down right-hander that bounced perfectly off the glass and in right before the buzzer and gave UConn a 32-25 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The operation seemingly goes perfectly, allowing Conley to walk off with another success.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And through all this, Saariaho’s elaborately beautiful orchestration scintillates, jabs, caresses, and swerves, giving all that vivid misery a sheen of lyric glamour.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Their voices caress each other as much as their wandering fingers do as two of country music’s best collaborators each add another blockbuster duet to their repertoire.—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Warsh has been adamant about wanting to ease monetary policy.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2026
-
But Dugalić was adamant on a normal-length college career.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Enclosed behind a barrier, a theme park is immaculately clean and features fancy landscaping and roving mascots who pose for photos and spread positive vibes.—
John Haddad,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Although immaculately updated, traces of the past remain in the property’s 26 miles of crown moulding restored by a team from Paris.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Elton John doing a handstand on his keyboard, Roger Daltrey stroking a microphone, Ian Anderson making the flute somehow look cool — his pictures became a means of connection for fans.—
David Di Sabatino,
SPIN,
3 Apr. 2026
-
At first, Hanke thought Miyabi was just stroking his ego.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Spain and Italy have both denied America use of military bases in their territory; Britain, the erstwhile steadfast ally of America, wavered on the issue, too.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
-
There’s something agonizingly beautiful in waiting—in longing, in steadfast desire.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Cats possess other features of their wild relatives in being basically carnivorous, remarkably agile and powerful, and finely coordinated in movement.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Some mowers are designed to finely chop the clippings.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pat. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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