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.
As investors face down tremendous uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the conflict in Iran, one Wall Street analyst decided to take a look at the factors that have driven previous bad years for the U.S. stock market.
From MarketWatch
He did not deserve to be run out in the final over, face down in the dirt.
From BBC
"They came across Hajra floating face down," he said.
From BBC
I glanced at where my phone sat face down on the table.
From Literature
I let my eyes travel from Daisy’s face down to that old crippled leg.
From Literature
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.
