topple over
To lose balance and fall down, or to push something so it falls down.
Meanings
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."
To cause something tall or unstable to fall over.
"The wind was strong enough to topple over several trees along the road."
(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."
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).
Commonly used with
Forms
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Synonyms
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