face to face

12. PHRASE : PHR after v, PHR n, oft PHR with n

If you come face to face with someone, you meet them and can talk to them or look at them directly.

• We were strolling into the town when we came face to face with Jacques Dubois.     
• It was the first face-to-face meeting between the two men.

13. PHRASE : PHR after v, PHR n

If you come face to face with a difficulty or reality, you cannot avoid it and have to deal with it.

• Eventually, he came face to face with discrimination again.
  

... Cobuild