as in falling
to go down from an upright position suddenly and involuntarily
the tower of blocks toppled even though I bumped into it ever so slightly
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Recent Examples of toppling
Coach Scott Bemand turned his attention to toppling France in France for the first time next Saturday.
—
ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026
The results showed that seventy-nine percent support some form of intervention, with some favoring toppling the regime and others wanting to deal with the humanitarian crisis, highlighting a range of priorities within the community.
—Morgan Rynor, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
In December 2024, a rebel offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham swept through the country with stunning speed, toppling the Assad regime that had ruled Syria since 1970.
—Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
Whether that victory translates to an incumbent-toppling result in June remains to be seen.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2026
The tornado left a trail of damage in Hillsdale, Kansas, Monday night, wrecking an RV park, toppling power lines, leveling homes and destroying a storage facility near West 255th Street.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
The metal supports keep the stems tight to the base of the plant, so when the flower heads get to their heaviest, the peony still retains a tight, bouquet shape without toppling over.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Apr. 2026
One of the horses tripped over a curb and fell over, toppling over its rider before running off.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Apr. 2026
Food editor Gail Ciampa explains what propelled Pizza Mamma to victory from the initial bracket of 32 pizzerias, toppling even James Beard Award winner Al Forno.
—Kathleen Hill, The Providence Journal, 11 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026
The results showed that seventy-nine percent support some form of intervention, with some favoring toppling the regime and others wanting to deal with the humanitarian crisis, highlighting a range of priorities within the community.
—Morgan Rynor, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
In December 2024, a rebel offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham swept through the country with stunning speed, toppling the Assad regime that had ruled Syria since 1970.
—Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
Whether that victory translates to an incumbent-toppling result in June remains to be seen.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2026
The tornado left a trail of damage in Hillsdale, Kansas, Monday night, wrecking an RV park, toppling power lines, leveling homes and destroying a storage facility near West 255th Street.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
The metal supports keep the stems tight to the base of the plant, so when the flower heads get to their heaviest, the peony still retains a tight, bouquet shape without toppling over.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Apr. 2026
One of the horses tripped over a curb and fell over, toppling over its rider before running off.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Apr. 2026
Food editor Gail Ciampa explains what propelled Pizza Mamma to victory from the initial bracket of 32 pizzerias, toppling even James Beard Award winner Al Forno.
—Kathleen Hill, The Providence Journal, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toppling
Verb
-
Bishop Moore junior Lucas Magro went 2-1 in the individual singles bracket and took the top seed, William Freshwater of Barron Collier, to a tiebreaker before falling 1-6, 6-1, (10-3).—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But the Pistons were sloppy with the ball and careless overall in a 94-88 loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday night, falling behind 3-1 in their first-round Eastern Conference series.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The title track, with its glassy melody and woozy, almost stumbling groove, deploys wholesome, end-of-the-night, comedown energy not unlike Bicep’s most beloved tracks.—
Reid BG,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Pack comfortable shoes and enjoy stumbling upon the secrets of the city.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After Dobes was penalized for tripping Yanni Gourde, Point took Jake Guentzel’s centering pass and ripped a shot past Dobes’ blocker from the high slot.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
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Cellphone video shot by a bystander then showed the man tripping and falling on his face as officers aggressively detained him moments later.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Now, Washington conventional wisdom, a 50-50 blend of dinner-party chatter and possibly sponsored social media posts, holds that the prize is slipping a bit from his grasp.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, borrowing costs remain elevated, and wage gains are slipping, struggling to keep up with everything else getting more expensive.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The company's revenue for the period was in-line with expectations, but weaker-than-expected operating income guidance for the current quarter sent shares tumbling.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Of My Own Making opens when, after a decade of productive therapy, Burke discovers a photo of the car accident that took her beloved grandmother’s life, and thirty years of unprocessed grief and trauma come tumbling out.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toppling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toppling. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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