as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
on the issue of raising taxes the governor stands pat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in perfectly
without any flaws or errors
after months of practicing for the competition, the cheerleaders have their moves down pat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to caress
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner
affectionately patted the baby on the head
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pat
Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2025
The story was too pat, too earnest, too self-flattering.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2025
Tyler Dragon, Cincinnati.com, 21 Apr. 2020
Christine Fiorentino, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 2026
Sullivan patted Hafley on the arm.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pat
Adjective
The film stars Oscar winner Brendan Fraser as Phillip Vandarploeug, an ex-pat American actor living in Tokyo.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2025
The story was too pat, too earnest, too self-flattering.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2025
Adverb
The 2016 draft was the last time the Bengals stayed pat through all seven rounds.
—Tyler Dragon, Cincinnati.com, 21 Apr. 2020
Verb
For longer storage, freeze blackberries by first rinsing and patting them dry.
—Christine Fiorentino, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 2026
Sullivan patted Hafley on the arm.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pat
Adjective
-
Across the Rockies and beyond, many of our favorite mountains were haunted by unseasonably warm spikes and stubborn weather patterns that shut out snow for weeks on end.—
Kristen Geil,
Outside,
31 Mar. 2026
-
For stubborn blockages, a plumber’s snake can help break things loose.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
In the regional final against Notre Dame, Heckel drove past her defender and hit a falling-down right-hander that bounced perfectly off the glass and in right before the buzzer and gave UConn a 32-25 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The operation seemingly goes perfectly, allowing Conley to walk off with another success.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Their voices caress each other as much as their wandering fingers do as two of country music’s best collaborators each add another blockbuster duet to their repertoire.—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The basis of the important therapy stems from studies showing that holding and caressing an animal provides benefits such as relaxation, lower blood pressure, decreasing anxiety, and increasing positivity, according to the news release.—
Dawn Giangiulio,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Warsh has been adamant about wanting to ease monetary policy.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2026
-
But Dugalić was adamant on a normal-length college career.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Enclosed behind a barrier, a theme park is immaculately clean and features fancy landscaping and roving mascots who pose for photos and spread positive vibes.—
John Haddad,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Although immaculately updated, traces of the past remain in the property’s 26 miles of crown moulding restored by a team from Paris.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At first, Hanke thought Miyabi was just stroking his ego.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Davidson, a 6-foot-1 freshman, stroked a perfect shot from the right side to send the Trojans (18-13) into a second-round matchup with top seed South Carolina on Monday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Their steadfast belief in this very personal film and commitment to getting it on marquees means so much to me.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Fielder has been the sole democratic socialist on the board and a steadfast advocate for progressive causes, often voting against Lurie’s legislative agenda and the board’s moderate majority bloc.—
Alyce McFadden,
San Francisco Chronicle,
29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
When all are well mixed, pour on the boiling Ale by degrees, beating up the mixture continually; then pour it rapidly backward and forward from one jug to another, keeping one jug raised high above the other; till the flip is smooth and finely frothed.—
Jay R. Brooks,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The process of designing and engineering cars has been finely honed by automakers over the decades, even as computer technology has revolutionized the industry and safety standards and requirements strengthened.—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pat. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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