topple

Topple is an English verb with two primary senses. The first sense means to cause to fall by tipping, or to fall over due to loss of balance. It can describe physical objects such as trees, statues, or furniture, and is used both intransitively (“the tree toppled in the storm”) and transitively (“gusts toppled the statue”). The second sense involves political change: to overthrow a government, regime, or ruler. In this usage, topple conveys a decisive shift in power and can result from protests, elections, resignations, coups, or other forms of political action.

In everyday language, topple is often used with toppling or toppled as a noun-adjacent idea in news reports and analysis, such as “the toppled statue” or “the toppled regime.” The term may imply abrupt or forceful change, but it is not limited to violence; nonviolent processes that lead to a government’s end can also be described as toppling.

Etymology traces topple to the notion of tipping or falling; it likely arose from older forms tied to balance and tipping, with the word appearing in English usage from the early modern period. Today, topple remains common in both physical and political contexts, and it is frequently paired with modifiers such as “sudden,” “peaceful,” or “violent” to indicate the nature of the fall or overthrow.

See also: overthrow, coup d’état, regime change, toppled.