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

Although visually stunning, Saturday was quite windy with gusts that toppled some trees. —Matthew Villafane, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026

In November 1987, however, just one day before Mabrouk and his co-conspirators planned to launch their coup, then-Prime Minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali carried out his own successful plot, toppling the regime and placing Bourguiba under house arrest. —Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026

The hard-line stance revealed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country's attacks were creating conditions for the Iranian population to topple the government. —Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026

McDonnell is the village president of North Barrington, rising to the seat after toppling the two-term incumbent in 2019. —Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 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