Standard Lemma guide

topple

noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈtɑpl̩/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈtɒpl̩/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɒpəl
  • CMU ARPABET: T AA1 P AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A fall (an instance of falling over).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A cascade of dominoes falling, such that each fall causes the next domino to topple.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To push or throw over.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The massed crowds toppled the statue of the former dictator.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To overturn.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To overthrow something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • to topple one's rival

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The pile of pennies began to topple.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

fall down, as if collapsing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The tower of the World Trade Center tumbled after the plane hit it

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tumble

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: descend, fall, go down, come down

Narrower terms: keel over

8

verb

Meaning 8

cause to topple or tumble by pushing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tumble, tip

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: push, force

History

Etymology

From top + -le (frequentative verb suffix).

Across languages

Translations

88 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: yıxmaq — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Azerbaijani: devirmək — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Azerbaijani: çevirmək — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Bulgarian: събарям (sǎbarjam) — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Bulgarian: прекатурвам (prekaturvam) — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Catalan: tombar — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Catalan: enderrocar — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Chinese Mandarin: 推翻 (tuīfān) — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Czech: překotit — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Czech: převrhnout — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Czech: svalit — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Czech: svrhnout — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Danish: vælte — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Danish: styrte — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Danish: omstyrte — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Finnish: kaataa — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Finnish: kumota — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • French: renverser — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • French: déboulonner — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Galician: derrubar — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Galician: estomballar — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • German: stürzen — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • German: umkippen — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Greek: ανατρέπω (anatrépo) — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Greek: αναποδογυρίζω (anapodogyrízo) — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Hungarian: dönt — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Hungarian: leborít — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Hungarian: felborít — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Hungarian: ledönt — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Icelandic: velta — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Italian: abbattere — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Italian: abbattersi — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Māori: whakahinga — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Māori: turaki — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Norwegian: styrte — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Norwegian: velte — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Polish: przewracać — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Polish: przewrócić — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Portuguese: derrubar — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Romanian: răsturna — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Romanian: dărâma — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Russian: опроки́дывать (oprokídyvatʹ) — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Russian: опроки́нуть (oprokínutʹ) — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Russian: вали́ть (valítʹ) — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Russian: повали́ть (povalítʹ) — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Russian: сверга́ть (svergátʹ) — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Russian: све́ргнуть (svérgnutʹ) — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Spanish: derribar — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Swedish: tippa — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Swedish: välta — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Swedish: stjälpa — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Swedish: störta — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Tamil: பின் தள்ளுதல் (piṉ taḷḷutal) — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Telugu: పడగొట్టు (paḍagoṭṭu) — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Ukrainian: повали́ти (povalýty) — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Ukrainian: вали́ти (valýty) — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Walloon: stårer — to push, throw over, overturn or overthrow something
  • Bulgarian: заплашвам да падна (zaplašvam da padna) — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Catalan: vinclar — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Chinese Mandarin: 倒下 (dǎoxià) — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Czech: kácet se — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Czech: překotit se — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Czech: převrhnout se — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Czech: skácet se — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Czech: svalit se — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Danish: vælte — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Finnish: horjua — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • French: tomber — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • French: chuter — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • German: umfallen — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • German: umkippen — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • German: wackeln — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Greek: καταπίπτω (katapípto) — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Greek: κλονίζομαι (klonízomai) — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Hungarian: eldől — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Hungarian: felborul — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Hungarian: dől — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Italian: reclinare — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Italian: reclinarsi — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Russian: вали́ться (valítʹsja) — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Russian: повали́ться (povalítʹsja) — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Russian: опроки́дываться (oprokídyvatʹsja) — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Russian: опроки́нуться (oprokínutʹsja) — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Russian: чебура́хнуться (čeburáxnutʹsja) — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Sanskrit: पद्यते (padyate) — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Spanish: tumbarse — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Swedish: tippa — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so
  • Ukrainian: валитися (valytysja) — to totter and fall, or to lean as if about to do so