1 A2 neutral
To lose balance and fall to the ground, especially of a tall or unstable object.
"The stack of boxes toppled over when someone brushed against it."
inseparable
topple over
A2 neutral inseparable transitive/intransitive
To fall over, especially when tall and unstable, or to cause something to fall.
In plain English
To lose balance and fall down, or to push something so it falls down.
What does "topple over" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To cause something tall or unstable to fall over.
"The wind was strong enough to topple over several trees along the road."
inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
(Figurative) To bring down a government, leader, or institution from power.
"The protests were strong enough to topple over a government that had ruled for decades."
“
The regime finally toppled over after months of mass demonstrations.
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To fall over to the side.
Actually means
To lose balance and fall down, or to push something so it falls down.
Usage tip
Often used for tall, heavy, or unstable objects like statues, stacks of books, or towers. Also used figuratively for governments or regimes being overthrown. The intransitive use (the statue toppled over) is more common than the transitive (protesters toppled the statue over).
Words that pair with "topple over"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
statue tower stack government regime pile
How to conjugate "topple over"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
topple over
I/you/we/they
3rd person
topples over
he/she/it
Past simple
toppled over
yesterday
Past participle
toppled over
have + pp
-ing form
toppling over
continuous
Hear "topple over" in the wild
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Other ways to say "topple over"
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