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3. in the face of

in the face of

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in the face of something

1. despite something She left home in the face of strong opposition from her parents.

2. when threatened by something In the face of clear evidence that the printing company did what it was supposed to do, the publisher lost the lawsuit.

See also: face, of

in the face of

1. Despite the opposition of, notwithstanding, as in In the face of published statistics, they insist there is no flu epidemic. [Early 1800s] Also see fly in the face of.

2. When confronted with, as in It is hard for brokers to be cheerful in the face of a falling stock market. [Late 1800s]

See also: face, of