Idiom: Face the music
Meaning
It means to “face reality” or to deal with the reality of the situation and accept all the consequences, good or bad (but mostly bad).
be confronted with the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions.
Examples
“I can’t understand why I failed math.”
“You know you didn’t study hard, so you’re going to have to face the music and take the class again next semester if you really want to graduate when you do.”
“we would later have to face the music over our bold moves”
If she lied to me, then she’ll just have to face the music.
After several years of cheating his employer, the embezzler finally had to face the music.
If you face the music, you put yourself in a position where you will be criticized or punished for something you have done.
Sooner or later, I’m going to have to face the music.
He’s squandered his money and now he’s got to face the music
The authorities had found us out and we were about to face the music.
I told you not to try to sneak in, and now that you’ve been caught, you’re just going to have to face the music.
If we do nothing to curb this pollution, I guarantee we will face the music in the future.
We were foreigners in a forbidden area, the authorities had found out and we were about to face the music.
Sooner or later, she’ll have to face the music and it won’t be pleasant.
He’s been cheating us out of our money for years and now it’s time for him to face the music.
If you have done something wrong, you have to face the music. There’s no escaping from it.
The children broke the windowpane while playing and had to face the music when their parents returned home.
If you don’t complete the project on time, you will have to face the music when the boss asks for a status report.
If you keep breaking the rules, sooner or later you will be caught and then you will have to face the music.
He was part of an illegal racing gang, and had to face the music when they were busted.
Having failed his English test, he had to go home and face the music.
Origin
The phrase originated in America in the mid-1800s.
It may help to pinpoint the origin to know that the phrase appears to be mid 19th American in origin. The earliest citation one can find for the phrase is from The New Hampshire Statesman & State Journal, August 1834:
“Will the editor of the Courier explain this black affair. We want no equivocation – ‘face the music’ this time.”