facedown

American

[feys-doun, feys-doun] / ˈfeɪsˈdaʊn, ˈfeɪsˌdaʊn /

adverb

with the face or the front or upper surface downward.

He was lying facedown on the floor. Deal the cards facedown on the table.

noun

Informal. Also face-down a direct confrontation; showdown.

Etymology

Origin of facedown

1930–35; facedown ( def. 1 ) face + down ¹; facedown ( def. 2 ) noun use of verb phrase face 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.

Trump shared photos of the suspected shooter, shirtless and in handcuffs facedown on a carpeted floor, in what appears to be the Hilton lobby.

From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026

“Minutes later, I returned and found him facedown in the pillow,” Tom later wrote.

From Slate • May 2, 2024

Earlier, prosecutors played police body camera footage showing Pelosi facedown on the floor as paramedics help him.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 13, 2023

Body paint and lying facedown for an hour: what it was like being Margo Robbie’s body double for “Barbie.”

From New York Times • Jun. 24, 2023

The Kandinsky biography she’s reading is facedown beside her silver brush.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023