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

All lanes of the 5 Freeway are closed in Castaic after a big rig toppled and another truck lost its cargo. —Julie Sharp, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026

Panama’s post-Noriega experience shows that while intervention toppled the military, democratic reconstruction was slow and uneven; external forces cannot create institutional coherence or political trust. —Cristina Guevara, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026

The master lawsuit in the Palisades fire blames several defendants for overgrown brush, toppled wooden power poles, natural gas explosions and a lack of water that all contributed to the mammoth blaze. —Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026

Records may be toppled across several Central and Eastern states over the next week as temperatures surge into the 60s, 70s and 80s. —Ben Noll, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 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