topple

[ top-uhl ]

/ ˈtɒp əl /

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verb (used without object), top·pled, top·pling.

to fall forward, as from having too heavy a top; pitch; tumble down.

to lean over or jut, as if threatening to fall.

verb (used with object), top·pled, top·pling.

to cause to topple.

to overthrow, as from a position of authority: to topple the king.

Nearby words

topotype, topper, toppie, topping, topping lift, topple, toprail, tops, topsail, topsail schooner, topscore

Origin of topple

1535–45; earlier top to tilt, topple (see tope¹) + -le

SYNONYMS FOR topple

4 defeat, vanquish, overcome, overpower.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR topple ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

un·top·pled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for topple

Obama has latched on to the failure of the embargo to topple the Castros as justification to shuffle the deck.
Obama’s One Hand Clap With Castro|Doug McIntyre|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I push down on the pedal with my right leg and instead of propelling myself forward, I topple over sideways.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder|Carrie Arnold|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Others, like the Tehrike e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) vowed to topple the Pakistani state itself.
Obama’s Deadly Informants: The Drone Spotters of Pakistan|Umar Farooq, Syed Fakhar Kakakhel|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
President Obama has weighed the options and concluded America does more harm than good when it sets out to topple regimes.
The CIA’s Wrong: Arming Rebels Works|Christopher Dickey|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He could not bring himself to say that he would have opposed the invasion of Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein.
How Ted Cruz Trolls Obama’s Foreign Policy|Eli Lake|July 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Would you say they were large enough to topple over that bale?
The Boy Pilot of the Lakes|Frank V. Webster
Sweating and tugging and straining, we managed to topple the “ambulance” over in the road.
The Black Watch|Scout Joe Cassells
We "poke fun" at everything in this country; to whatever approaches the verge of the ridiculous we give a push and topple it over.
Whitman|John Burroughs
The aged building seemed to creak and sway in the wind, as though it might fall apart from weakness and topple into the water.
The Rival Campers Ashore|Ruel Perley Smith
She had the impression that the walls were ready to topple down and bury her.
The Campfire Girls on the Field of Honor|Margaret Vandercook

British Dictionary definitions for topple

topple

/ (ˈtɒpəl) /

verb

to tip over or cause to tip over, esp from a height

(intr) to lean precariously or totter

(tr) to overthrow; oust

Word Origin for topple

C16: frequentative of top 1 (verb)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

topple

verb (used without object), top·pled, top·pling.

verb (used with object), top·pled, top·pling.

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Nearby words

Origin of topple

SYNONYMS FOR topple

Related forms

Examples from the Web for topple

British Dictionary definitions for topple

topple

verb

Word Origin for topple