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

The region went dark late Saturday morning, after a high-voltage line in the region toppled over, RTE said on X. —Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 24 May 2025

The safe barrier protecting dozens of butterflies at a Missouri zoo was breached as winds toppled trees and tornadoes ripped through the state. —Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2025

Fueled by their hellacious defense, the Oklahoma City Thunder toppled Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets with a blowout 125-93 victory in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Sunday. —Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025

On his second trophy lift, the top of the Wanamaker toppled off onto the ground. —Kendall Capps, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

frequentative of top entry 3

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for topple

• estoppel
• popple

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