in someone's face

Idioms  

1. In front of or against someone directly, as in He slammed the door in her face . [First half of 1400s] Also see in the face of .

2. get in someone's face . Annoy or pester someone. For example, He's always getting in my face when I'm trying to meet a deadline . Closely related is the imperative, get out of my face , meaning “stop annoying me,” as in Get out of my face before I punch you! [ Slang ; 1920s] Also see in your face ; throw in someone's face .

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Example Sentences

At the very least, Democrats and Republicans agree that wafting cigarette smoke in someone’s face and capturing their reaction on video — without first asking — is untoward.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2025

“You don’t want to be shoving charity in someone’s face and make it feel overwhelming and that it’s all about the donations. We really want kids to have a great time here and educate themselves.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 28, 2023

Monkeypox, on the other hand, travels via fatter droplets that immediately fall to the ground, which is why you’d really need to be up in someone’s face for the virus to spread this way.

From Slate • Aug. 6, 2022

It's the social media equivalent of spitting in someone's face: So gross it's bound to get a reaction.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2022

Was it rude to slam the door in someone’s face?

From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate