topple
verb /ˈtɒpl/
/ˈtɑːpl/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they topple | /ˈtɒpl/ /ˈtɑːpl/ |
| he / she / it topples | /ˈtɒplz/ /ˈtɑːplz/ |
| past simple toppled | /ˈtɒpld/ /ˈtɑːpld/ |
| past participle toppled | /ˈtɒpld/ /ˈtɑːpld/ |
| -ing form toppling | /ˈtɒplɪŋ/ /ˈtɑːplɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to become unsteady and fall down; to make something do this
- + adv./prep. The pile of books toppled over.
- He toppled backwards into the river.
- topple somebody/something + adv./prep. He brushed past, toppling her from her stool.
- [transitive] topple somebody/something to make somebody lose their position of power or authority synonym overthrow
- a plot to topple the President
Extra Examples- She led a campaign to topple the regime.
- The armed forces toppled the elected government in a bloodless coup.
- The church played an important role in toppling the Communist order in Poland.
Word Originmid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘tumble about’): frequentative of the verb top.