windfall

noun

wind·​fall ˈwin(d)-ˌfȯl 

1

: something (such as a tree or fruit) blown down by the wind

2

: an unexpected, unearned, or sudden gain or advantage

Synonyms of windfall

• benefit
• blessing
• boon
• gift

Examples of windfall in a Sentence

They received a windfall because of the tax cuts.

hitting the lottery jackpot was an incredible windfall for the recently laid-off worker

Recent Examples on the Web

Gaines’ windfall coincided with a banner fundraising year for the Leadership Institute, which Blackwell founded in 1979 to serve as a training ground for conservatives aspiring to top roles in politics, government and the media. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 Dec. 2025

Fans and officials on both sides of the state line have stressed the potential economic windfall of locking in stadium deals. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Dec. 2025

Elon Musk, already the world’s richest man, scored another huge windfall Friday when the Delaware Supreme Court reversed a decision that deprived him of a $55 billion pay package that Tesla doled out in 2018 as an incentive for its CEO to steer the automaker to new heights. —Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 20 Dec. 2025

Make the most of this windfall of cash by putting it toward your costly credit card debt. —Jasmin Suknanan, CNBC, 15 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for windfall

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

Kids Definition

windfall

noun

wind·​fall -ˌfȯl 

1

: something (as a tree or fruit) blown down by the wind

2

: an unexpected gift, gain, or help