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
• stumble
• trip
• slip
• 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

In 2011, Barack Obama conducted an 8 month campaign in Libya to topple Gaddafi. —Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025

Those are assertions that will be reexamined as the impact of Saturday’s U.S. bombings becomes clearer. ‘MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN’: Trump, who previously denied wanting to topple Iran’s regime, on Sunday seemed to encourage that idea. —Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 23 June 2025

According to an Israeli official familiar with the government’s strategy, Israel is targeting these sites to put pressure on the Iranian administration but is not actively seeking to topple it. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 June 2025

Coast Guard officials said a large swell toppled the craft off D.L. Bliss State Park. —Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 22 June 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