face up

1 of 2

adjective or adverb

variants or less commonly faceup or face-up
: with the face up
After all the cards have been dealt, nondealer takes the top card from his pile and places it on the table, face up.Jack Botermans et al.
It didn't matter whether a phone was on or off, or whether it was face up or face down on a desk.Ralph K. M. Haurwitz
… we set the table with the forks' tines aggressively face-up.Molly O'Neill
For abdominal-flattening crunches, lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.Michele Meyer
usually hyphenated before a noun
Players start with four face-up cards …Laura McQuarrie

face up

2 of 2

verb

faced up; facing up; faces up

intransitive verb

: to confront or deal directly with someone or something previously avoided
usually used with to
faced up to my fears

Examples of face up in a Sentence

Adjective or adverb The cards were dealt faceup.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective or adverb
Under Utah Law, Franke and Hildebrandt face up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for each of their six counts of child abuse. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2023 If convicted, Donald could face up to 50 years in prison or a life sentence for the alleged murder, and up to five years for evidence tampering. Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2023 He is scheduled for sentencing in January and could face up to five years in federal prison. Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023 After his girlfriend is possessed during a trip to a cabin in the woods, Ash is once again forced to face up to evil. Amy MacKelden, ELLE, 6 Sep. 2023 Herbert could face up to 10 years in prison for the charge of theft of government money and up to five years for the charge of making a false statement, prosecutors said. Maria Elena Little Endara, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2023 In Utah, a person found guilty of aggravated child abuse charges can face up to 15 years in prison. Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 31 Aug. 2023 If convicted of the charges, the 27-year-old could face up to seven years and four months in prison. David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2023 If found guilty, individuals charged with money laundering could face up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Amarachi Orie, CNN, 17 Aug. 2023
Verb
The 26-year-old Arizona woman faces up to 18 months in prison for her role in the death of photography director Halyna Hutchins. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Gonder, 41, who formerly worked in the BSO Department of Detention, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to two counts of wire fraud and now faces up to 20 years in prison for each offense before U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Jennifer Crumbley faces up to 15 years in prison when she is sentenced on April 9. Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 If found guilty, the men will face up to four years in prison. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 Andrea Cardenas had been facing up to five years and eight months in prison if convicted of all the original counts; Jesus Cardenas was facing up to four years and four months in custody. Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 If convicted, the brothers face up to 20 years in prison. USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Elizabeth Rowland was lying face up on the kitchen floor when police arrived at the couple’s house. Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 Doctors refusing back-to-work orders may face up to 3 years in prison, according to South Korea’s medical law. Fox News, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'face up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective Or Adverb

1809, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of face up was in 1809

Dictionary Entries Near face up

Cite this Entry

“Face up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/face%20up. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

faceup

adverb
face·​up ˈfā-ˈsəp How to pronounce faceup (audio)
: with the face up
the card fell faceup
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