topple
verb (used without object)
to fall forward, as from having too heavy a top; pitch; tumble down.
were toppling
-
past progressiveof topple.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Already the winds were toppling trees, creating dangerous surf and bringing extreme wildfire risk to areas that haven’t seen substantial rain in months.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2025
The storm’s gusty winds — reaching more than 80 miles an hour in some areas — were toppling trees and snapping power lines, causing widespread power outages.
From New York Times ● Mar. 14, 2023
Houses were toppling into the Xi River as it burst through levees, swallowed farm fields and roared into villages.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2020
Walls were falling, statues were toppling, and Warsaw wanted to participate in this symbolic revolution too.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 25, 2017
When Ekkehard that evening was sitting before his pine-wood torch, he heard a thundering noise, as if the mountains were toppling over.
From Ekkehard. Vol. II (of II). A Tale of the Tenth Century by Joseph Victor von Scheffel
