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

The plan is evident: bombard the Russians with drones, attack with infantry ... and topple every building the Russians might turn into a defensive position. —David Axe, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024

Barricades were toppled, glass was broken, and kids were trampled in the line. —Dan Morrison, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024

Still, the flurry of heat records toppled in recent weeks has left many experts stunned, since days on end of such high temperatures in October is rare. —Denise Chow, NBC News, 17 Oct. 2024

But by about 1 p.m., the parking lot was completely submerged, toppling telephone polls and caving in the walls of the Impact Plastics building, the lawsuit claims. —CBS News, 15 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