as in falling
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of toppling
Fears are growing among Venezuela’s leadership that the true goal of the US deployment is toppling the autocratic regime of President Nicolás Maduro, though some warn a military intervention could further destabilize the country.
—
Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
He was also charged with assault during the 2018 toppling of UNC’s Silent Sam statue, a case that was later dismissed, according to WRAL.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025
An adult male bear can therefore easily go from around 700 pounds at the start of the fishing season to toppling more than 1,200 pounds.
—Gloria Dickie, Outside, 24 Sep. 2025
After a bunch of toppling, wacky noises and looks of despair, Morgan secures what feels like her 75th veto of the season.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 24 Sep. 2025
As a result, career ladders are toppling into no man’s land, leaving too many professionals unsure of how to gain traction to find a job and advance in the workplace.
—Ulrik Juul Christensen, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
According to Alixandra, who didn't share her surname, Sparrow masterminded her own midnight feast by toppling the feeder and prying off the lid.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
The persecution worsened more than a decade ago during uprisings that remade the Middle East by toppling dictators — including Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak — but in some places spiraled into civil war.
—Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
The uber-billionaire is now the world’s richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, growing $100 billion more wealthy on Wednesday and toppling longtime title holder Elon Musk from his perch.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
He was also charged with assault during the 2018 toppling of UNC’s Silent Sam statue, a case that was later dismissed, according to WRAL.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025
An adult male bear can therefore easily go from around 700 pounds at the start of the fishing season to toppling more than 1,200 pounds.
—Gloria Dickie, Outside, 24 Sep. 2025
After a bunch of toppling, wacky noises and looks of despair, Morgan secures what feels like her 75th veto of the season.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 24 Sep. 2025
As a result, career ladders are toppling into no man’s land, leaving too many professionals unsure of how to gain traction to find a job and advance in the workplace.
—Ulrik Juul Christensen, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
According to Alixandra, who didn't share her surname, Sparrow masterminded her own midnight feast by toppling the feeder and prying off the lid.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
The persecution worsened more than a decade ago during uprisings that remade the Middle East by toppling dictators — including Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak — but in some places spiraled into civil war.
—Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
The uber-billionaire is now the world’s richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, growing $100 billion more wealthy on Wednesday and toppling longtime title holder Elon Musk from his perch.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toppling
Verb
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With less money being invested by record labels into touring, that has created a top-heavy artist hierarchy, with the rich getting richer and the poor and middle class falling by the wayside.—
Roy Trakin,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
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The group acknowledged a need to modernize the government's data gathering processes, which have been hampered by falling survey response rates.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ross and the unit's six other horses are responsible for helping the police handle crowd control, whether its amid the thousands stumbling through Lower Broadway or the rush of 65,000 fans entering or leaving Nissan Stadium for a Titans game.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
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In other words, Steve is a lot to play, and the Oscar-winner throws himself into every forlorn expression, every kindly mentoring session, every manic bit of rushing to and fro as chaos reigns around him, every stumbling step toward self-medicating into oblivion.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Farley, a former New York City health commissioner who teaches at Tulane University, acknowledged that many factors contribute to falls, including the physical impairments and deteriorating eyesight associated with advancing age; alcohol abuse; and tripping hazards in people’s homes.—
Paula Span,
Miami Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
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Carr ends up tripping and falling down stairs, eating soup laced with Plan B One Step emergency contraceptive, and getting doused in cat feces, which leads to him contracting toxoplasmosis, a parasite that can be transferred to fetuses during pregnancy.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ferrari is currently battling for the second spot in the Constructors' Championship with Red Bull and Mercedes, after slipping to third.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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The elastic waistband stretches to move with you, and the pants come with faux buttons to make slipping them on a breeze.—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Federal funds allowed many schools to stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite tumbling enrollment numbers.—
Jeremy Tanner,
The Hill,
29 Sep. 2025
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An unnamed climber lost control while glissading down another route, Avalanche Gulch, tumbling several hundred feet down the mountain.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toppling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toppling. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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