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
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
-
But La Roja could not find a way past Vozinha and a stubborn defense that had an answer to everything Spain’s superstars threw at them.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
-
Meanwhile, Hanks invests the vulnerable but stubborn Woody with a delectable senior resilience.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Adverb
-
In fact, the product’s popularity soared in the Victorian era, when the royal laundress credited her perfectly bright linens to the little blue additive, turning it into a household must-have.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
11 Dec. 2025
-
Native tepary beans are cooked perfectly al dente with carrots and nopales and garnished with red chile sauce and salsa verde.—
Von Diaz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Grudda pushed Barkow's wheelchair through the zoo, her hands caressing her mother's shoulders or pointing out the animals.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Mbappe’s legal team are adamant that no evidence of any agreement has ever been proven.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
-
The Charlotte utility giant is adamant, however, that residential customers’ bill will not grow because of those data centers.—
Catherine Muccigrosso,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Dec. 2025
Adverb
-
Gabriel Ebert was immaculately cast as the teens’ seeming ally of a teacher, and Sink and her castmates all bared their teeth and howled their humanity at the moon.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
4 Dec. 2025
-
The fabric is breathable and immaculately drapey, lending a bohemian aesthetic to this $35 lounge outfit.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Quinn also stroked a two-RBI single in the first inning as Lyman Hall, unbeaten during the regular season, built an early 3-0 lead.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
10 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
-
Sacramento Councilmember Karina Talamantes, whose district is directly adjacent to the project, has remained steadfast in her opposition to the development, urging the county to further delay the vote until a new supervisor is elected to replace Phil Serna, who is championing the project.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
-
Let California Kids Hear and Klugo have been steadfast in their response that insurance costs would be minimal and the state program falls far short of fulfilling needs throughout the state.—
Liana Handler
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Adverb
-
The authors of the study ran a careful analysis of how finely the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) would need to slice up the light from a distant Earth to confidently spot biosignatures in its atmosphere.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
10 June 2026
-
The chic Löyly complex is typical of the new trend, with its saunas finely crafted from warm woods, a restaurant serving fashionable Nordic cuisine, and a seaside terrace for lounging.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pat. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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