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

The mass strike, known as the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), hoped to topple the regime through non-violence. — Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 2026

Snoring in the middle of conversations, nodding off during fight scenes, suddenly toppling over — Hollywood is no stranger to using narcolepsy as a source of humor. — Gina Park, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026

His daughter's husband, who drank heavily, toppled off his boat and drowned. — Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 20 Sep. 2026

Zak’s performance on Friday was quite nice for Wauconda, which toppled previously unbeaten Grayslake North 48-14 in a Northern Lake County Conference game. — Chicago Tribune, 19 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