face up to
phr. v..phr. v.. to accept that a difficult or unpleasant situation exists and start dealing with it.
phr. v.. to acknowledge and confront a challenging reality or responsibility that one might otherwise avoid.
You need to face up to your problems.
After months of overspending, he finally had to face up to his growing debt.
The board of directors must face up to the fact that their current business model is no longer sustainable in the digital age.
usually followed by a noun phrase representing a negative truth or a difficult responsibility.
contrast with 'ignore' or 'avoid'; it implies a transition from denial to acceptance and action.
He faced up his mistakes.He faced up to his mistakes.the preposition 'to' is essential to complete the meaning of this three-part phrasal verb.