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

This ship, however, did not have the same landing luck as its predecessor, and exploded moments after toppling into the waters. — Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026

Tidal surges swamped low-lying neighborhoods in New Jersey while wind gusts toppled trees on New York’s Long Island, damaging homes and bringing down utility poles. — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

In June, an 85-year old retired statistician who loved taking long walks in nature was killed in a freak accident when a sudden summer storm toppled a tree that crushed him in a Queens park. — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 27 Sep. 2026

The winds toppled trees in New York City, with some landing on top of parked cars. — Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 26 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