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

Brown would have to serve with Republican Bernie Moreno, who defeated Brown in 2024 — and would likely become the leading tactician in charge of toppling the Democrat again in 2028. — semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026

And there are like hundreds of 1,000s of really good people who work for our government who aren’t toppling it. — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026

Protests against the cost of living brought out riot police in Milan and forced snap elections that could topple the government in Spain. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Oct. 2026

Budget negotiations are increasingly fraught in France and have toppled two of Lecornu's recent predecessors in recent years. — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 19 Oct. 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