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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
Neil Irwin, Axios, 7 Mar. 2025
Was a 3-2 win over the NHL-best Winnipeg Jets in the Islanders’ final game before Friday’s trade deadline enough to convince Lou Lamoriello to either stand pat or make additions?
—Jerry Beach, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Colorado didn’t stand pat, landing Coyle after acquiring veteran center Brock Nelson in a trade with the New York Islanders late Thursday.
—Stephen Whyno, The Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2025
Last year in a similar situation, Yzerman mostly stood pat, trading away depth forward Klim Kostin only to see Detroit come within a tiebreaker of the playoffs.
—Max Bultman, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 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 23 Mar. 2025.
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stand pat
verb
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