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

Storms approaching the region start to reach cooler waters that aren't warm enough to fuel a hurricane and tradewinds in the region can topple a storm's cloud structure. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025

The persecution worsened more than a decade ago during uprisings that remade the Middle East by toppling dictators — including Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak — but in some places spiraled into civil war. —Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025

The uber-billionaire is now the world’s richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, growing $100 billion more wealthy on Wednesday and toppling longtime title holder Elon Musk from his perch. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025

The impact toppled the tree, leaving it lying on top of the Ford Mustang, the CHP reported. —City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 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