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

Photos from the scene showed some of the train cars off the tracks, toppled over and wrecked on the side of a hill. — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2026

Two width-adjustable feet with a groove at the bottom help to secure it on a surface, while a third, upright arm prevents the tablet from toppling over. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026

Tuesday’s high tide also toppled another all-time record in San Pedro, which had broken its record the day before. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026

Meanwhile, in its push to topple Cuba’s communist regime, Washington issued an unusual plea for Cubans to work with the CIA. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 27 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