face facts

• face the facts

face facts (third-person singular simple present faces facts, present participle facing facts, simple past and past participle faced facts)

1. To accept what is true, especially when it is undesirable.
   • 1828, The Indian Year Book, Vol. 12–17, p. 765:

     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.

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

     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.

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

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

• “face facts”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “face facts” (US) / “face facts” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.