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

Four people were taken to the hospital Monday after a construction rig toppled onto three vehicles and a construction container in Miami, trapping two workers and igniting a vehicle fire, authorities said. — Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Some of the figures were arranged together on rolling carts, others stood alone, and many were toppled over in the dust as a result of the previous week’s chaos. — Jesse McLaren, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026

And two Providence city councilors who stood as a roadblock against it were toppled. — Antonia Noori Farzan, The Providence Journal, 10 Sep. 2026

Photos of festival damage, showing vendors’ tables, tents and supplies toppled and strewn across Independence Square, appeared across social media. — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 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