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.
The Fed and inflation are back in focus as investors face down an often bumpy stretch for markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 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
‘The Bear’ returns for its final season, Olivia Wilde directs a dinner-party dramedy, Woody and Buzz face down a tablet in ‘Toy Story 5,’ and much, much more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
I go back to the boulder and once again push my face down into the largest pool, sucking in a mouthful of water.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.
