topple
Americanverb (used without object)
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topples,
present (3rd person singular)
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toppled,
past participle, past
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toppling
present participle
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to fall forward, as from having too heavy a top; pitch; tumble down.
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to lean over or jut, as if threatening to fall.
verb
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to tip over or cause to tip over, esp from a height
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(intr) to lean precariously or totter
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(tr) to overthrow; oust
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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topplesimple
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topplessimple
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have toppledperfect
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has toppledperfect
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am topplingprogressive
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are topplingprogressive
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is topplingprogressive
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have been topplingperfect progressive
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has been topplingperfect progressive
Past
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toppledsimple
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had toppledperfect
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was topplingprogressive
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were topplingprogressive
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had been topplingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of topple
Explanation
To topple something is to knock it down. A house of cards can be toppled — so can a government. Things can topple in several ways. If a building collapses or falls down for any reason, it topples. If you knocked over another student, you toppled that person. Governments that are overthrown are also said to be toppled. When you see the word topple, someone or something is going down.
Vocabulary lists containing topple
100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
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"Sorry, Wrong Number," Vocabulary from the play
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The War That Saved My Life
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
A Nobel Prize-winning academic economist, Sargent helped topple the original Keynesian model of inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
NHK aired footage from elsewhere in the southwestern Kumamoto region on Kyushu island showing several blazes, damaged bridges, a derailed cargo train and a number of houses threatening to topple over.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
A cliff averaging one foot a year might actually not do anything dramatic for 20 years, and then a 20-foot collapse will abruptly topple in one go.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Even a toddler would know that the pen would topple over.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
He wanted to lift up his leg quickly, and topple the terrible bird on to the floor, out of sight, not to have it there, pressing down on his thigh.
From "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill
“Ninety-five percent of the building, the structure is sound and intact…There is no way that this corner of a small extension all of a sudden topples this building.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
The clash with Stanley that topples Blanche’s mind after Stella has gone into labor is just as freshly conceived.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2025
"It is not like a pencil balancing on its end that when touched topples over."
From Salon ● Mar. 18, 2024
You look so shocked when a dog topples your precious kid over!
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 18, 2023
The world topples around me, and I’m suddenly staring at the room from the floor.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
That figure toppled the number of cases reported in all of 2025, and some public health experts believe it may be an undercount.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
But the August 26 disaster also came just ahead of the anniversary of last year's September 8-9 youth-driven anti-corruption protests that toppled the previous government.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
Remember: Alcaraz is the defending champ in Queens, having toppled Sinner in four sets last September.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Four years later, veteran Bay Area Rep. Mike Honda was toppled by fellow Democrat Ro Khanna, now viewed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
But when she dashed through a patch of soft ground, she slipped and toppled into the grass.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
Saturday's celebrations mark the 115th anniversary of the toppling of China's Qing dynasty and the subsequent founding of the Republic of China.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
The Oceanside Harbor registered 98 degrees on Sunday, toppling the record of 97 degrees set in 1953.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
Olivia Dean speaks about obliterating a record held by Abba, toppling Jay-Z and Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and why meeting Stevie Wonder almost did her in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
Dolphin brought heavy rain to Japan's Okinawa island, cutting power to tens of thousands of buildings, toppling trees and cancelling flights.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
He seemed totally out of it, losing his balance, nearly toppling over onto his side.
From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
