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

Allegations of misconduct toppled the Democrat’s campaign, but his replacement, former logger and state senator Troy Jackson, has had a strong showing in the polls, and posed the first actual competition Collins has faced in nearly three decades. — Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 4 Nov. 2026

Washington follows this pattern of behavior because sanctions alone rarely—if ever—make a problem disappear, such as by toppling the government responsible. — S. C. M. Paine, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2026

While some portions of the installation show the rigid order of a city grid, other parts feature elements strewn about, toppled over—a metaphor for the parts of the urban environment that can’t be as easily organized. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 3 Nov. 2026

In an early version, Zvyagintsev imagined a final scene in which Nikolay, the Russian Heemeyer, bursts out of his garage riding a bulldozer and uses it to topple an excavator. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 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