TOPPLING Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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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 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 Henry County officials are also investigating a possible tornado that moved through New Castle, Indiana, on Wednesday, toppling trees and ripping the roof off a commercial building. — Michelle Simmons, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley won the Democratic primary race for Wisconsin’s governorship, toppling his Democratic socialist opponent, Francesca Hong, who had surged in the polls leading up to Tuesday. — Chantelle Lee, Time, 12 Aug. 2026 The Marlins were an offensive force Saturday evening, toppling the Los Angeles Angels 7-0 while totaling nine hits. — Tyler M. Carmona, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026 The foul weather sent trees toppling across the city, including on the Upper West Side in Manhattan and in Woodside, Queens, where a food truck was struck by a fallen tree, according to ABC. — Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for toppling

Verb

McGuire said the country’s murder rate is at a 126-year low and argued that falling fentanyl deaths and drug trafficking are evidence that the administration’s border and law enforcement policies are working.

— Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
Applications jumped from roughly 3,500 a year before COVID to a record 18,561 in 2024, before falling nearly 30% last year and continuing to decline in 2026.

— Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of falling

Verb

One of my favorite projects involved walking across the largest city in the Lower 48, only with the general framework of a plan, stumbling upon all kinds of interesting people, places and history.

— Mark Woods, Florida Times-Union, 20 Sep. 2026
Ian informs the sisters that Kylie isn’t merely stumbling into arcane rituals; someone is drawing her to the dark side.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of stumbling

Verb

This movement of the fabric can shorten a hemline and secure a train so someone can easily move about without tripping or having extra fabric dragging on the ground.

— Shelby Wax, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2026
Users of classical psychedelics who underwent a major trip on the Fourth of July expressed reduced support for partisan political violence, whereas tripping around the time of the Democratic and Republican conventions increased it.

— J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of tripping

Verb

Standard gas pressure spreads out across the rock formations, homogenizing subterranean forces and actually decreasing the risk of the fault slipping over time.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
Slowly, the giant claw, still clutching the sparrow, sank into the river, the tips of its pincers slipping beneath the surface with a plop.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of slipping

Verb

Cliffs teeter at 1,640 feet, before tumbling down in a flurry of vineyards and walking trails to the rushing rivers and gorges of Sil and Miño.

— Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
But many homeowners locked in low mortgage rates when COVID-19 slammed the economy and sent borrowing costs tumbling; so they are protected if mortgage rates rise in the wake of a Fed raTte hike.

— Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of tumbling

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topples

toppling

tops

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“Toppling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toppling. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of toppling

verb

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