to one's face

Idioms  

1. Openly, directly, as in I do not have the nerve to tell him to his face that he wasn't invited and shouldn't have come. This idiom alludes to a direct confrontation. [Mid-1500s]

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Example Sentences

Not only are N95 masks hard to come by, but they need to be professionally fitted to one's face to ensure a tight seal.

From Salon • Jan. 27, 2021

But it is possible tend to one’s face.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2019

The unknown can be frightening, and doubly so when it’s latched directly on to one’s face.

From The Guardian • Mar. 23, 2017

People say things online they would never say to one’s face.

From Forbes • May 14, 2015

Le Baut would have handed over his daughter, even if he had not wished to; he could not refuse anything to one's face, not even a daughter.

From Hesperus or Forty-Five Dog-Post-Days Vol. II A Biography by Jean Paul