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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Recent Examples of toppling
The development is the latest as Syria's new leaders have struggled since toppling former President Bashar Assad in December 2024 to assert their full authority over the country torn by nearly 14 years of civil war.
—
Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2026
Topline Gold and silver prices surged early Thursday morning, with silver toppling the $120 mark and gold nearing an all-time high of $5,600, up more than $200 from just one day ago as tensions between the United States and Iran mount and the dollar weakens.
—Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The triple-ball design comes preassembled in classic Roman-style planters and looks impressively realistic, according to Amazon reviewers—even moving gracefully in the wind without toppling over.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Jan. 2026
And as leaders in Tehran will surely remember, the 1979 revolution was itself a culmination of a year-long protest movement that ebbed and flowed before finally toppling the Shah’s regime.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 16 Jan. 2026
The waterside trees leaned far out over the currents, almost toppling into the river, as if being pushed by the exuberant growth at their backs.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Strikes are something that had an important role in toppling the Pahlavi regime in 1979.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2026
The past 25 years have shown that the effects of toppling leaders are difficult to predict and that having more rather than fewer perspectives leads to better outcomes.
—Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
But in forcibly toppling an unfriendly leader, the United States changed the rules.
—Richard Fontaine, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2026
Topline Gold and silver prices surged early Thursday morning, with silver toppling the $120 mark and gold nearing an all-time high of $5,600, up more than $200 from just one day ago as tensions between the United States and Iran mount and the dollar weakens.
—Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The triple-ball design comes preassembled in classic Roman-style planters and looks impressively realistic, according to Amazon reviewers—even moving gracefully in the wind without toppling over.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Jan. 2026
And as leaders in Tehran will surely remember, the 1979 revolution was itself a culmination of a year-long protest movement that ebbed and flowed before finally toppling the Shah’s regime.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 16 Jan. 2026
The waterside trees leaned far out over the currents, almost toppling into the river, as if being pushed by the exuberant growth at their backs.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Strikes are something that had an important role in toppling the Pahlavi regime in 1979.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2026
The past 25 years have shown that the effects of toppling leaders are difficult to predict and that having more rather than fewer perspectives leads to better outcomes.
—Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
But in forcibly toppling an unfriendly leader, the United States changed the rules.
—Richard Fontaine, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toppling
Verb
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The 83-year-old senator has had multiple health issues over the past few years, including publicly freezing during a press conference in 2023 and falling ahead of a Senate vote in October 2025.—
Lillian Metzmeier,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Feb. 2026
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Among the videos, prosecutors wrote, is one that shows the bullet hitting Kirk, blood coming from his neck and Kirk falling from his chair.—
Matthew Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The committee is already split between those worried about persistent inflation, who’d like to keep rates unchanged, and those who think that recent upticks in unemployment point to a stumbling economy that needs lower interest rates to bolster hiring.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
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Years of decline have reduced Tottenham — one of the wealthiest clubs on the planet — to a place where the collective mood of the fanbase is at least somewhat conditioned by Arsenal stumbling again.—
Dan Kilpatrick,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cognitive Mercury and upbeat Jupiter are tripping over one another, potentially impacting your day-to-day routine or plans with your friends.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
30 Jan. 2026
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There should never be too many things piled up in a home, especially next to points of exit and entry, which could be a tripping hazard.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With Brent crude falling almost 19% over 2025, and at one point last month, slipping below $60 a barrel for the first time in nearly five years, headline earnings for 2025 are likely to be down by around a fifth on the previous 12 months.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
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The Kings’ culture is slipping through our fingers with every shortsighted move.—
LeBron Antonio Hill,
Sacbee.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Tuesday’s game in Milwaukee is their penultimate matchup against the Bucks, who are tumbling toward draft lottery status without Giannis Antetokounmpo.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
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Silver also suffered its worst daily loss, tumbling more than 31%.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toppling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toppling. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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