< The antonym, “with the upper surface uppermost,” is face up.
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.”
In addition to the idioms beginning with face
- face down
- face it
- face the music
- face to face
- face up
- face up to
- face value
- face with
also see:
- at face value
- blue in the face
- brave face
- do an about-face
- egg on one’s face
- feed one’s face
- fly in the face of
- hide one’s face
- in someone’s face
- in the face of
- in your face
- keep a straight face
- laugh out of the other side of one’s mouth (face)
- long face
- look someone in the face
- lose face
- make a face
- on the face of it
- plain as day (the nose on your face)
- poker face
- put one’s face on
- red in the face
- save face
- set one’s face against
- show one’s face
- slap in the face
- stare in the face
- stuff one’s face
- talk one’s arm off (until blue in the face)
- throw in someone’s face
- to someone’s face