face down

verb

1. to confront and force (someone or something) to back down

Idioms and Phrases

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 .

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

Ben Gvir on Friday posted a video of himself standing over a row of Palestinian prisoners lying face down on the ground with their hands tied, in which he called for capital punishment.

Read more on Barron's

The Palos Verdes Estates Police Department received a call from a person who saw a man lying face down at the base of the cliff close to the 1400 block of Paseo Del Mar around 12:19 p.m.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

At the workplace software company UKG, Bob DelPonte has asked colleagues in his team meetings to at least put their phones face down.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Joseph Nocella of Brooklyn said at a news conference that the defendants used “special contact lenses or eyeglasses that could read pre-marked cards” and tables that “could read cards face down on the table ... because of the X-ray technology.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The court heard that Ms Dart, who is in her 50s, was found face down in the water.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• argue 
• assail 
• attack 
• debate 
• defy 
• deny 
• disagree 
• dispute 
• face 
• fight 
• prevent 
• protest 
• resist