From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishface somebody ↔ down phrasal verb especially American EnglishDEAL WITHto deal in a strong and confident way with someone who opposes you Harrison successfully faced down the mob of angry workers. → face→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
face down• No, don't lick my face!• She has been facing them down.• Gazing up at the kindly, apple-cheeked face smiling down at him, Hilary suddenly made up his mind.• A great beautiful face stared down at me.• All was silence; not one face peered down at us from between rusty bars.• The face looks down gently on us like a mother gazing at her children.• His face was purpling down the left side and one eye was closed.• His face came down to her, passed by her own, and buried itself in the copper cloak. 