face facts

present singular third person faces facts · participle present facing facts · participle past faced facts · past faced facts · alternative face the facts

1. To accept what is true, especially when it is undesirable.

   “You must face facts,” he said, taking a step toward her.

   2017, Julia Quinn, The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband: A Bridgertons Prequel, page 15

   3 more examples

   The Home Member said they could not refuse to face facts and Mr. S. R, Das, Law Member, said the partial co-operation which had been received from the Swarajists in the House had been forced out of them by their minority position there.

   1828, The Indian Year Book, volumes 12-17, page 765

   Now this doubtness is an unhappy state of affairs to the lover of the steam locomotive, but we cannot, like the proverbial ostrich, bury our heads in the sand and refuse to face facts.

   1950 January, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 13

   Not long after a particularly aggressive soccer game in my youth, when I went down hard with a severe injury, I had to face facts: my soccer days were over.

   2014, Joe RoosEvans, Here's to the Good Life, page 32