put on a brave face / front

/pˌʊt ˌɒn ɐ bɹˈeɪv fˈeɪs fɹˈʌnt/

/pˌʊt ˌɑːn ɐ bɹˈeɪv fˈeɪs fɹˈʌnt/

to put on a brave face / front

to behave in a way that hides one's unhappiness, worries, or problems

Examples

1. He was putting a brave face on it

2. The engineers have been putting a brave face on the problem, but I think this breakdown is going to set us back for months.

3. Nothing makes me cry more than a character that is putting a brave face on a terrible situation.

4. [Narrator] While Richard puts a brave face on things, Georgina takes failure to heart.