stand pat

British  

verb

1. poker to refuse the right to change any of one's cards; keep one's hand unchanged

2. to resist change or remain unchanged

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stand pat Idioms  

1. Refuse to change one's position or opinion, as in We're going to stand pat on this amendment to the bylaws. This expression may be derived from the verb pat in the sense of “strike firmly and accurately.” [Late 1800s]

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Other Word Forms

• standpatter
  noun

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stand pat

Bets on a hike have risen over the past week, though analysts expect officials to stand pat on Wednesday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

"It feels to me like they are looking for reasons to stand pat, and this gives them a reason," said Edelberg, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

Anything less than that, and the Fed is almost certain to stand pat.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

Nine out of 11 economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected the RBI to stand pat on Friday, with two forecasting a 25-basis-point hike.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

Keep within your heart a song, And the days will not be long, Till you conquer every wrong,— Stand pat, stand pat!

From Oklahoma Sunshine by Miller, Freeman E. (Freeman Edwin)