topple

verb top·ple \ ˈtä-pəl \

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

Examples: topple in a Sentence

Definition of topple

toppled; toppling play \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 2

topple a dictator

b : defeat 3

See topple defined for English-language learners

See topple defined for kids

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 of topple from the Web

Anti-corruption protests toppled Slovakia’s prime minister in March.

— The Economist, "Central Europe’s Goldilocks economies," 5 July 2018
An underdog Russia toppling one of the great teams of modern soccer, while screams rained down and patriotic chants roared around Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium?

— martin rogers, USA TODAY, "Whatever happens, Vladimir Putin is winning the World Cup," 1 July 2018
Despite a huge fundraising deficit, Brat toppled the No.

— philip elliott, Time, "How Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Pulled Off the Biggest Upset of 2018," 28 June 2018
Challenger @Ocasio2018 toppled one of the top Democrats in Congress, @repjoecrowley, Tuesday night in their primary in the 14th District.

— gabriella paiella, The Cut, "Why Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Victory Is a Big Deal," 27 June 2018
Once again, the army would topple another strongman, this time replacing Namphy with Avril.

— jacqueline charles, miamiherald, "Henri Namphy, one-time coup leader and Haiti president, dies in Dominican Republic," 27 June 2018
Challenger @Ocasio2018 toppled one of the top Democrats in Congress, @repjoecrowley, Tuesday night in their primary in the 14th District.

— rachel epstein, Marie Claire, "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Just Made History in New York," 27 June 2018
Their Westworld bodies topple off a cliff while their new selves gather in a simulated field, their faces full of joy.

— sandra upson, WIRED, "Westworld Recap, Season 2 Episode 10: What Is Real?," 25 June 2018
In the case of GOP lawmakers and hopefuls caught between a conservative (read: pro-Trump) primary electorate and Democratic efforts to topple Republicans in November’s midterms, speaking out is somewhat of a gamble.

— celeste katz, Glamour, "Ivanka Trump Said She'd Fight for Women. Where Is She on the Border Crisis?," 20 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'topple.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of topple

frequentative of ³top

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1590

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

topple Synonyms

Synonyms

fall, slip, stumble, trip, tumble;

Antonyms

get up, rise, stand (up), uprise;

crash, free-fall, nose-dive, plummet, plunge, precipitate, wipe out;

skid, slide;

TOPPLE Defined for English Language Learners

topple

verb

Definition of topple for English Language Learners

: to cause (something) to become unsteady and fall
: to remove (a government or a leader) from power
: to win a victory over (someone or something) in a war, contest, etc.

TOPPLE Defined for Kids

topple

verb top·ple \ ˈtä-pəl \

Definition of topple for Students

toppled; toppling

: to fall or cause to fall from an upright position When he pulled a book out, several others toppled to the floor.

Learn More about topple

See words that rhyme with topple Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for topple Spanish Central: Translation of topple Nglish: Translation of topple for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of topple for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up topple? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

topple

Definition of topple

Examples of topple in a Sentence

Recent Examples of topple from the Web

Origin and Etymology of topple

topple Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

TOPPLE Defined for English Language Learners

topple

Definition of topple for English Language Learners

TOPPLE Defined for Kids

topple

Definition of topple for Students

Learn More about topple

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

The Good, The Bad, & The Semantically Imprecise - 7/20

Trending: Giuliani: Secret Recordings 'Powerful Exculpatory Evidence'

5 Words for Clumsy People

Test Your Emoji Exceptionalism

Ghost Word