topple

verb

top·​ple ˈtä-pəl 

toppled; toppling ˈtä-p(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

: to fall from or as if from being top-heavy

transitive verb

1

: to cause to topple

2

a

: overthrow sense 2

topple a dictator

b

: defeat sense 1

Synonyms

• fall
• slip
• stumble
• trip
• tumble

Examples of topple in a Sentence

The strong winds toppled many trees.

The earthquake toppled the buildings.

The tree toppled into the river.

The rebels tried to topple the dictator.

The phone company has toppled its local competition.

Recent Examples on the Web

Fort Worth Eastern Hills topples Southwest Something had to give on Tuesday night, Jan. 14, at Billingsley Field House. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Jan. 2025

Within Anchorage itself, winds hit 75 mph, toppling trees, scattering debris and partially collapsing a pedestrian bridge over the Seward Highway, the city's main southern thoroughfare. —John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025

Rebels toppled its main ally in neighboring Syria, the dictator Bashar al-Assad. —Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025

The rumors related to the ethics report almost certainly toppled his nomination by President-elect Donald Trump to be U.S. attorney general. —Kirby Wilson, Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

frequentative of top entry 3

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

topple

verb

top·​ple ˈtäp-əl 

toppled; toppling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to fall over from being too heavy at the top

2

: to push over