topple
verb (used without object)
to fall forward, as from having too heavy a top; pitch; tumble down.
had toppled
-
past perfectof topple.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Standing before it, Khalaf saw how the wall of the adjacent building had toppled onto the ground floor, flooding the shop with rubble and coating everything with a film of fine gray dust.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
Together they had toppled a civilian government in an October 2021 coup.
From Reuters ● May 29, 2023
Twenty years ago, when I first hired him in Baghdad, my Iraqi interpreter and driver Salam was thrilled that the Americans had toppled Saddam Hussein.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 24, 2023
Nearby were the parked bulldozers that had toppled neighboring businesses.
From New York Times ● Aug. 28, 2022
There were plants to prop up that had toppled over in the wind, weeds to pull, strawberries to nibble, and a huge bunch of bananas just green enough to pick.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
