face up
1 of 2adjective 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.
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
Ralph K. M. Haurwitz… we set the table with the forks' tines aggressively face-up.—Molly O'Neill
Molly O'NeillFor abdominal-flattening crunches, lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.—Michele Meyer
—usually hyphenated before a nounMichele MeyerPlayers start with four face-up cards …—Laura McQuarrie
Laura McQuarrie
faced up; facing up; faces up
: 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
Will MacKin,
New Yorker,
28 June 2026
If convicted of second-degree murder, the parents could each face up to life in prison under Michigan law, according to KXAN reporting.
—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
27 June 2026
Seamus Bozeman,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
If Watson refuses to accept the sentence listed in the deal, his fate will be left up to Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge William Altfield, meaning Watson could face up to 15 years in prison.
—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for face up
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Adjective or adverb
And a pig like me would have picked Bing’s face up off the dirt, rinsed it in cold water from his canteen, and felt the skin flex in the palm of his hand.
—
Will MacKin,
New Yorker,
28 June 2026
If convicted of second-degree murder, the parents could each face up to life in prison under Michigan law, according to KXAN reporting.
—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
27 June 2026
Verb
Decastro faces up to a maximum of six years in state prison if convicted of all charges, prosecutors said.
—
Seamus Bozeman,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
If Watson refuses to accept the sentence listed in the deal, his fate will be left up to Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge William Altfield, meaning Watson could face up to 15 years in prison.
—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for face up
Cite this Entry
“Face up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/face%20up. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
faceup
adverb
face·up
ˈfā-ˈsəp 
: with the face up
the card fell faceup
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