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

There were accordions and tambourines, and a giant fir tree that, one year, toppled under its own weight. —Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026

An anonymous trader made off with more than $400,000 on Polymarket, another such website, after betting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro would be toppled from office by the end of January, mere hours before Maduro was arrested. —Editorial, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026

Wembanyama lurched forward, toppled and slammed the right side of his face on the floor. —Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026

The Carolina Alumni Review, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has documented the strange odyssey of Silent Sam, the Confederate monument that was toppled after standing on campus for 105 years. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 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