facedown

American  

[fays-daun, fays-daun] / ˈfeɪsˈdaʊn, ˈfeɪsˌdaʊn /

adverb

1. with the face or the front or upper surface downward.

   He was lying facedown on the floor. Deal the cards facedown on the table.

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noun

1. Informal. Also face-down a direct confrontation; showdown.

Etymology

Origin of facedown

1930–35; facedown ( def. 1 ) face + down ¹; facedown ( def. 2 ) noun use of verb phrase face down

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

facedown

Trump shared photos of the suspected shooter, shirtless and in handcuffs facedown on a carpeted floor, in what appears to be the Hilton lobby.

From Barron's ● Apr. 26, 2026

Since at least 2011, Georgia has mandated that officers learn how to safely restrain subjects facedown, according to the agency that oversees training.

From Seattle Times ● May 14, 2024

“Minutes later, I returned and found him facedown in the pillow,” Tom later wrote.

From Slate ● May 2, 2024

Body paint and lying facedown for an hour: what it was like being Margo Robbie’s body double for “Barbie.”

From New York Times ● Jun. 24, 2023

More than twenty people lay facedown in the earth.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah