in the face of
Idioms-
Despite the opposition of, notwithstanding, as in In the face of published statistics, they insist there is no flu epidemic . [Early 1800s] Also see fly in the face of .
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When confronted with, as in It is hard for brokers to be cheerful in the face of a falling stock market . [Late 1800s]
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 development bank said that while the economies it invests in have shown greater-than-expected resilience in the face of higher energy prices, the pressures are building.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
We remained stoic in the face of madness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
The Bernstein analysts said the investment would give Royal Caribbean more ways to grow, particularly with higher-income consumers, in the face of tighter cruise-ship capacity and higher costs related to the ships themselves.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
I should disclose that I am helpless in the face of good food packaging.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
Good luck sounds so trite and pointless in the face of this.
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.
