as in falls
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily
the tower of blocks toppled even though I bumped into it ever so slightly
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Recent Examples of topples
In 2003 the United States topples Hussein and delivers him to his executioners.
—
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
Byron Nelson topples Guyer, evens series Byron Nelson defeated Denton Guyer 2-1 to even the two squads’ Class 6A Division II regional final series at Byron Nelson High School.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2026
Weiss took the recent Iranian protests seriously, asking staff during one morning call if the new round of protests could be the wave that topples the regime, leading to skepticism from some journalists in London.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Nvidia’s sales of the computing chips powering the artificial intelligence craze surged beyond the lofty bar set by stock market analysts, a performance that may ease recent jitters about a Big Tech boom turning into a bust that topples the world’s most valuable company.
—Austin American Statesman, 19 Nov. 2025
Note that if Bieber topples critical and commercial giants with an Album of the Year win for SWAG, Dijon also claims one.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
Byron Nelson topples Guyer, evens series Byron Nelson defeated Denton Guyer 2-1 to even the two squads’ Class 6A Division II regional final series at Byron Nelson High School.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2026
Weiss took the recent Iranian protests seriously, asking staff during one morning call if the new round of protests could be the wave that topples the regime, leading to skepticism from some journalists in London.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Nvidia’s sales of the computing chips powering the artificial intelligence craze surged beyond the lofty bar set by stock market analysts, a performance that may ease recent jitters about a Big Tech boom turning into a bust that topples the world’s most valuable company.
—Austin American Statesman, 19 Nov. 2025
Note that if Bieber topples critical and commercial giants with an Album of the Year win for SWAG, Dijon also claims one.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for topples
Verb
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Otherwise, falls, trampling, injuries and deaths could occur.—
Arthur L. Kellermann,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
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Leah Lewis stars as introverted Ellie, who falls for popular girl Aster (Alexxis Lemire) while writing love letters to her on behalf of a male friend.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
Verb
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After a rocky start, Joey stumbles on some talents and goes to great lengths to impress Leonard in his audition for a play.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 June 2026
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The first robot stumbles on aluminum debris, its wheels furiously trying to get traction and move around the obstacle.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Verb
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At only 20 feet high, Abrams Falls’ stature isn’t its most impressive quality; however, the sheer force of water that tumbles down it is an experience to enjoy with several senses—certainly sight, but also sound and feel too.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
8 June 2026
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The film, which is set to bow in Un Certain Regard on May 21, tumbles through tones, swerving through pitch-black humor, empathy, fury and larger-than-life moments.—
William Earl,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Verb
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As measurement gets stricter and the watchers get better at catching what slips, the pool of gas that can clear the bar shrinks — and intensity figures shaped by satellite data help decide who is in the pool and who is left holding cargoes nobody in Brussels will touch.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
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Yoon’s wife slips a cigarette between her lips, then glances at my wife.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Verb
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View from the East Wing includes reflections on four years in the White House as First Lady—a period that included COVID, the start of the war in Ukraine, trips overseas, and initiatives to bolster women’s health and community colleges.—
Julia Terruso,
Time,
11 June 2026
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The appeal stems from a 2021 lawsuit filed by a California man who argued that the ad features young children, even though some of the proceeds are directed toward programs that fund Israel trips for older teens.—
Francie Ebert,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Topples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/topples. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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