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

For the Houthis, success on the battlefield doesn’t require toppling Saudi Arabia; disrupting the Saudi economy and sowing fear within its society may be enough to give the Houthis leverage in any possible negotiations to end the fighting. — NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026

The carriage clipped the wheel of another carriage and toppled, according to investigators. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026

The surrounding countryside, by comparison, was littered with large numbers of trees that were toppled as the shock waves produced by the exploding asteroid high above radiated downward. — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Radicals, outraged at its concessions, wanted to fight and topple the shogunate in favor of imperial rule. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 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