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

• 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

In this latest wave, a new kind of influencer wants to wage race wars, topple modern democracies, share assassination techniques, and replace society with all-white ethno-states. —Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 7 Aug. 2025

The move came just as Israel’s parliament broke for summer recess, meaning that Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners couldn’t take out their ire by threatening to topple the government. —Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2025

In addition, Roman Reigns and Jey Uso toppled Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker in the show opener while Tiffany Stratton shockingly beat Jade Cargill and left MetLife Stadium still the WWE Women’s Champion. —Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025

Classic derechos can cause extensive damage, leading to massive power outages and toppling tons of trees. —Doyle Rice, USA Today, 29 July 2025

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