topple

verb

top·​ple ˈtä-pəl 

toppled; toppling ˈtä-p(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

: to fall from or as if from being top-heavy

transitive verb

1

: to cause to topple

2

a

: overthrow sense 2

topple a dictator

b

: defeat sense 1

Synonyms

• fall
• slip
• stumble
• trip
• tumble

Examples of topple in a Sentence

The strong winds toppled many trees.

The earthquake toppled the buildings.

The tree toppled into the river.

The rebels tried to topple the dictator.

The phone company has toppled its local competition.

Recent Examples on the Web

And in Japan this month, the Liberal Democratic Party, which has overseen the nation, with some exceptions, since 1955, was toppled. —The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024

The chili cheese hot dog on a pickle was messy and logistically taxing to eat, as toppings toppled over the sides and juice flowed into the container. —Annalise Frank, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024

Venture capitalist Mark Farrell and Daniel Lurie, heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, have emerged as two likely candidates to topple Breed in a messy five-way race. —Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024

Khan will play one of the two daring cops who embark on a covert mission to topple Karachi’s powerful mafia-like political party. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

frequentative of top entry 3

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

topple

verb

top·​ple ˈtäp-əl 

toppled; toppling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to fall over from being too heavy at the top

2

: to push over