face down
phrasal verb

- to defeat someone or something that is opposing you by being brave and strong

- If you face someone down, you oppose them or defeat them by being confident and looking at them boldly

Cambridge Dictionary / Collins Dictionary

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THREE FAMOUS FACE DOWNS

1. The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)



The Cuban Missile Crisis was arguably the most significant confrontation of the entire Cold War. For 13 days, the world was on the brink of nuclear war as U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev faced down each other. The Soviet Union had deployed nuclear missiles in Cuba, a mere 90 miles off the coast of the United States, triggering a standoff. President Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of Cuba and demanded the removal of the missiles. Finally, the Soviet Union agreed to remove its missiles if the U.S. promised not to invade Cuba and removed its missile installations in Turkey.

2. David and Goliath (Biblical times)

While this event's historicity can be debated, it is a universally recognized tale of confrontation from the Bible. Young David, a shepherd, faced down Goliath, a giant Philistine warrior. Despite being physically overmatched and mocked, David showed immense bravery and faith, famously defeating Goliath with a single stone from his sling. This story has become synonymous with underdogs confronting and overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

3. Gandhi's Salt March (1930)

This was a non-violent face-down led by Mahatma Gandhi against the British rule in India. Opposing the British salt laws, which imposed a heavy tax on salt, a staple in the Indian diet, Gandhi and thousands of Indians marched approximately 240 miles from Ahmedabad to the coastal town of Dandi, where Gandhi made salt from the sea, openly defying the law. This peaceful act of rebellion marked a significant moment in India's struggle for independence and demonstrated Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent resistance, or Satyagraha.

Satyagraha theory influenced Martin Luther King Jr's campaign during the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, as well as Nelson Mandela's struggle against apartheid in South Africa and many other social justice and similar movements.

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SYNONYMS

accept the challenge, accost, address, beard, brave (out), brazen (out), breast, buck (up against), call out, challenge, clash/collide with, combat, come face to face with, confront (eyeball-to-eyeball), contend with, contest, counter, cross swords with, dare to confront, defy, dispute, do battle with, duel, engage (with), eyeball, face, face-off, FACE DOWN, face like flint, face up to, face with defiance, fly in the face of, get in someone's face, give the evil eye (the stink eye), go against (head to head, nose to nose, one on one, toe to toe), grapple with, have the guts to face, hold at bay, hold one's own (the line, your ground), join battle with, keep at bay, lock horns with, look in the eye (straight in the eye), make a stand against, make my day, match up to, measure up against, meet eyeball to eyeball (head-on, nose to nose. the challenge), not back down (give an inch, shy away from), oppose, pit against (oneself against), repel, resist, rise against, square off (up to), stand against (fast, one's ground, tall, up to), stare down (out), step up to the plate, tackle, take a stand against (on, the bull by the horns), throw down the gauntlet, vie with, withstand, wrestle with

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“Many of us have to FACE DOWN the fear of public speaking before being able to present to groups.”

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