toppling

verb

present participle of topple
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of toppling For the Houthis, success on the battlefield doesn’t require toppling Saudi Arabia; disrupting the Saudi economy and sowing fear within its society may be enough to give the Houthis leverage in any possible negotiations to end the fighting. — NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026 But further strengthening is unlikely due to a roadblock of storm-toppling wind shear set up just off the northern coast. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026 The Oceanside Harbor registered 98 on Sunday, toppling the record of 97 set in 1953. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 This ship, however, did not have the same landing luck as its predecessor, and exploded moments after toppling into the waters. — Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026 Snoring in the middle of conversations, nodding off during fight scenes, suddenly toppling over — Hollywood is no stranger to using narcolepsy as a source of humor. — Gina Park, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026 Two workers picking up traffic control equipment were killed when an Amazon delivery vehicle collided with their truck and sent it toppling over a guardrail on I-95 in southeast Georgia, according to state investigators. — Asia Simone Burns, AJC.com, 16 Sep. 2026 The vehicle even remained intact after toppling over, a feat none of its predecessors had pulled off. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Engineers expected the ship’s life to end with a fiery disintegration after toppling over, just as past Starships have done following splashdown. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toppling
  1. falling
  2. stumbling
  3. tripping
  4. slipping
  5. tumbling
Verb
  • The disruption has sent transits through the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb falling sharply after mostly recovering to their pre-war levels.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • This all comes at a time when supply is falling — and falling faster than demand is recovering.
    — Diana Olick, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of falling
Verb
  • Big banks made changes to overdraft fees and fraud protections following previous testimony, for example, while former Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf abruptly resigned in 2016 after stumbling during hearings on the bank’s fake accounts scandal.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In an era of geotags and influencers, there’s something deeply satisfying about stumbling upon a place that still feels like a secret.
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of stumbling
Verb
  • In overtime, the Golden Knights quickly took advantage of a tripping penalty on Kings center Scott Laughton.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Behar, who dislocated the shoulder after catching her heel and tripping last week at The View‘s ABC studio building in New York, is expected to return to the show next week.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of tripping
Verb
  • But a few months later, at her 18-month appointment, the standard graph that plotted a child’s weight against their age showed her weight slipping off the curve.
    — Raj Panjabi, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
  • If one hook isn’t enough to keep the bag from slipping, place another one on the opposite side.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of slipping
Verb
  • Cybersecurity names including portfolio holdings CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks are also tumbling.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
  • After the rain moves out, a strong cold front will send temperatures tumbling for the weekend.
    — Matthew Villafane, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of tumbling

Browse Nearby Words

topples
toppling
tops
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Cite this Entry

“Toppling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toppling. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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