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

Goldman expects that the Fed will stand pat — barring any dramatic data.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Barring any surprising or dramatic August data releases in early September, the Fed will stand pat, the team said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

Nine of 10 economists polled by The Wall Street Journal expect the central bank to stand pat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

He saw through it all, and now he would stand pat, and take nobody's bluff.

From Ted Strong in Montana With Lariat and Spur by Edward C. Taylor