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 of topple

• 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

The car toppled a large oak tree and stopped skidding near Hills and Dales Road. — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026

Then, a slow-moving heat dome sizzled the East in early July, toppling records. — Ben Noll, Washington Post, 24 July 2026

OpenAI never stood a chance of toppling the iPhone anyway, said Dave Lee in Bloomberg. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 23 July 2026

The only vehicle Dias needed to topple his biggest challenge yet was his faith. — Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

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