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

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

The Bank of England is also expected to stand pat.

From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026

In pleasantness, the impulse is to "stand pat" and let the pleasant state continue; in unpleasantness, the impulse is to end the state.

From Psychology A Study Of Mental Life by Woodworth, Robert S.