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

Mendoza, just before he fired, had reported Churna was “proned out,” having walked out of her apartment and laid facedown on the carpet.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 6, 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

Sefia slammed the book facedown in the dirt.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

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