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standpat

adjective
stand·​pat | \ ˈstan(d)-ˈpat How to pronounce standpat (audio) \

Definition of standpat

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: stubbornly conservative : resisting or opposing change

stand pat

verb
stood pat; standing pat; stands pat

Definition of stand pat (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to play one's hand as dealt in draw poker without drawing
2 : to oppose or resist change

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Other Words from standpat

Verb

standpatter \ ˈstan(d)-​ˌpa-​tər How to pronounce standpatter (audio) , -​ˈpa-​tər \ noun
standpattism \ ˈstan(d)-​ˌpa-​ˌti-​zəm How to pronounce standpattism (audio) \ noun

Did You Know?

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

Adjective

the standpat chefs were having none of this low-calorie stuff that the food police were pushing

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Yet with several players — including outfielder Lorenzo Cain, first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas, and closer Wade Davis — a year and a half from free agency, Kansas City elected to stand pat at that year’s trade deadline. Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, "Demise of the Royals a lesson in history for Red Sox," 6 Aug. 2019 While other top contenders picked around the margins of the marketplace, or stood pat completely, the Astros, nearly alone among the elite teams, made the kind of bold move that often means the difference between winning and losing in October. Dave Sheinin, chicagotribune.com, "Column: By adding Zack Greinke, the Astros emerge as a possible World Series favorites," 1 Aug. 2019 After standing pat for the first two weeks of free agency, the Nuggets made their big offseason addition trading for Jerami Grant. Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, "Nuggets Ink podcast: The Jerami Grant trade, Jamal Murray’s big contract and more NBA earthquakes in Vegas," 12 July 2019 And with the Giants in the mix for a spot in the postseason, it’s possible president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi stands pat over the next 13 days and keeps Bumgarner and closer Will Smith for the final two months of the regular season. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, "Madison Bumgarner pushes aside trade talk: “I’m trying to win games for the Giants”," 19 July 2019 The team could also go for a combination of buying and selling or even decide to stand pat and not make any major moves. Jeremy Cluff, azcentral, "MLB trade rumors: Momentum grows for Arizona Diamondbacks to be MLB trade deadline buyers," 15 July 2019 In the Fed's decision Wednesday to stand pat on its main rate, there was one dissent among the 10 voting policymakers. Don Lee, latimes.com, "Federal Reserve, for now, holds key interest rate steady despite pressure from Trump," 19 June 2019 This is no time to stand pat -- Congress should pass -- and the President should sign -- legislation on election security before the 2020 election, not after. Andrew Grotto For Cnn Business Perspectives, CNN, "Our lax cybersecurity policies put our elections and our data at risk," 31 July 2019 But two of 10 policymakers voted against Wednesday’s rate move, preferring to stand pat. Los Angeles Times, "Fed cuts interest rate for first time since 2008, adopting risky new strategy," 31 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'standpat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of standpat

Adjective

1904, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for standpat

Verb

pat entry 4

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