face down
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle down
Meanings
Confront a challenge or opponent directly
Why “down”? Something is pressed down and kept from rising again.
“She faced down her critics.”
“The mayor faced down the angry crowd.”
Don't confuse with
Face down means confront a challenge or opponent directly. Face about means pivot to face the opposite direction.
Test yourself
“She faced down her critics.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
face about
A contrast learners often mix up
Pivot to face the opposite direction
bog down
Same down pattern: pressure
Slow or get stuck
bring down
Same down pattern: pressure
Cause something to fall or land; Make something lower in level or amount; Cause a government or leader to lose power; Make someone feel sad or depressed
clamp down
Same down pattern: pressure
Impose strict control
crack down
Same down pattern: pressure
Take strict action against bad behaviour
hold down
Same down pattern: pressure
Keep someone or something restrained
hunker down
Same down pattern: pressure
Take cover; settle in low
keep down
Same down pattern: pressure
Prevent from rising or escaping
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