to somebody's face

to (one's) face

To one directly, often quite literally by speaking face to face, as opposed to indirect methods. Hey, if you've got a problem with me, tell me to my face instead of complaining about me to everyone else at work.
See also: face

to somebody’s ˈface

(say something) openly, when speaking to somebody: Would you really call her a liar to her face? ♢ I think he’s guilty but I’d never dare say it to his face. OPPOSITE: behind somebody’s back
See also: face
References in periodicals archive ?
There's a road rage phenomenon to social media, where people all of a sudden feel comfortable to say horrible things that you would never say to somebody's face in real life.
Harvey Weinstein And His 'Jabba The Hutt Mentality'
The food will just bring some variety and I hope it will bring a smile to somebody's face.
Coventry's great Christmas bake-off
It can zoom right up to somebody's face and hold that frame for as long as is required so we can identify them without them even knowing it's there.
THE 8IN SPY IN THE SKY; Tiny helicopters snoop in Afghanistan
Note the following alternative, formal lexicalisations of the discussed sense 'to be bold': to be bare-FACEd, to have/to bear the FACE to do something, to push/show one's FACE, to travel upon one's FACE, to run one's FACE, to tell something to somebody's FACE.
The politics of body-part terminology: on the conceptual affiliation of the lexical item face
STUNNING news last week, as it emerged that no journalist on Fleet Street has ever said one thing to somebody's face and another behind somebody's back.
Journalists are never two-faced
If I can bring a smile to somebody's face, let's do it.
Believe it or not, Duck nemesis returns to Autzen older, wiser
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