face down
Britishverb
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With the upper surface put down, as in Please put these papers face down . This usage appears to come from cardplaying. [First half of 1600s] The antonym, “with the upper surface uppermost,” is face up .
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Overcome, intimidate, or browbeat someone in a bold confrontation. This verbal expression dates from the 16th century. Shakespeare used it in The Comedy of Errors (3:1): “Here's a villain that would face me down.”
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.
He also announced his intention to allow Ukraine to produce anti-aircraft Patriot missiles, which are badly needed to face down Russian attacks.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Prosecutors said the gardener entered the house via the open front door on 9 July, and found Widdecombe lying face down on her kitchen floor with a serious head injury.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
The video also shows other men lying face down -- presumably two workers -- and a relative who worked with them.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
“I thought maybe they had fractured a rib because that’s how painful it was. I couldn’t sleep face down for three weeks.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
Then Miss Love flung herself face down on the daybed and went to crying.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
