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.
Aria was found face down on the floor of her home by Ollie Sheppard, who was temporarily lodging there, just after 18:00 GMT.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
Around 10:30 p.m. the president posted a photo on social media of the alleged shooter face down on the hotel carpet.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
“It requires the government to face down the monopoly that is State Grid, which controls more than 90% of the country’s electricity transmission and distribution.”
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
A mock drowning in the pool, floating face down in the water as his mother does a butterfly stroke back and forth right next to him.
From Salon • Feb. 17, 2026
I dip my face down, as if I had a beak and were a sparrow drinking from a fountain.
From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar
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.
