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 colossi were toppled by a strong earthquake in about 1200 BC that also destroyed Amenhotep III's funerary temple, said Mohamed Ismail, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. —CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025

Al-Sharaa led the rebel forces that toppled Bashar Assad in December 2024 and was named the country's interim leader in January. —Arkansas Online, 14 Dec. 2025

Al-Sharaa led the rebel forces that toppled Bashar Assad in December 2024 and was named the country’s interim leader in January. —Samar Kassabali, Fortune, 13 Dec. 2025

Previously, skeptics have argued that China’s regime would be toppled, or its economic growth torpedoed, by a variety of maladies—public backlash in response to repressive COVID-19 policies, for example, or the costs of mitigating environmental devastation. —Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025

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