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

Supporters have argued that any actions that put universities’ financial windfalls from athletics in jeopardy could be enough to move the needle. —Bracey Harris, NBC news, 19 May 2026

Practically all the $100-billion windfall would flow solely into healthcare while causing fed-up super wealthy to flee the state. —Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026

Short-sighted selloffs mandated by Washington for short-term windfalls undermine those efforts. —John Hickenlooper, Denver Post, 18 May 2026

Meanwhile, investors stand to reap a massive windfall and don’t seem to be pushing back against the governance changes. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 16 May 2026

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