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

All nine economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had expected the central bank to stand pat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

Tamura, a former private bank executive, is considered hawkish and known as a frequent dissenter who has repeatedly proposed rate hikes when the board chose to stand pat, including ahead of the June move.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Even the timidest soul dare not "stand pat."

From A Preface to Politics by Walter Lippmann