pat
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.
See Examples For:
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
The other nine had anticipated that the central bank would stand pat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Anything less than that, and the Fed is almost certain to stand pat.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
She was seen several times with the US president at the summit including a meeting on a sofa after which he appeared to pat her shoulder.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
From time to time, they would go over to Sunny and smile at her, and pat her head, to reassure her.
From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket
Instead, he gathered himself and finished the session, earning pats on the back from both Garvey and Lasorda.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026
He pats my arm, then walks me to Jaarsma Bakery and stands in line with me, telling me how good the cake is.
From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2025
The room where we meet has several places to sit, but Chan pats a spot on her couch right next to her.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2025
Then in went the sliced garlic and tomatoes, the pan deglazed with a few generous pats of salted butter.
From Salon ● Jun. 16, 2025
Sara sits on her father’s ottoman, and he pats her shoulder.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan shared some words of encouragement with the catcher and patted him on the back.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
The president patted one student on the arm and asked if he was a "strong person," to which the boy replied "yes, sir."
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
The dough is left to rise before being divided into balls and patted into shape by hand.
From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025
Powell just eased up on the gas to drop to 55 mph from 70 and patted your knee.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 2, 2025
And then she patted my hand on her shoulder.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
The two leaders shook hands warmly, Trump patting Xi's hand, and exchanged a few words on the red carpet before the cameras.
From Barron's ● May 14, 2026
“Usually these visits are a glorified patting on the back,” said Andrew Roberts, a British historian and royal biographer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026
"She's an amazing person and an amazing fighter, and she announced a minor difficulty which will be in good shape," Trumps said, patting her on the shoulder.
From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026
But at the tail end of his monologue, O’Brien assured viewers that the Oscars exist to honor cinema as an art form, not for the Hollywood industrial complex patting itself on the back.
From Salon ● Mar. 16, 2026
I stood watching the train a bit longer, picturing Charlie patting the pocket where he’d placed the wishing stone I’d given him.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Vocabulary lists containing pat
