Synonyms

stand pat

British

verb

poker to refuse the right to change any of one's cards; keep one's hand unchanged
to resist change or remain unchanged

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

stand pat Idioms

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]

Other Word Forms

standpatter

noun

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The central bank makes a sensible decision to stand pat on rates.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Last season, the Rams thought their young and talented pass rush could compensate for their decision not to stand pat with the cornerbacks and safeties from the 2024 season.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026

Read: The Fed is expected to stand pat this week.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 27, 2026

He preferred to stand pat on the tariff as it had been originally adopted.

From The Cheerful Smugglers by Preston, May Wilson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023