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

Multiple local labor unions and commerce groups see the data center as a potential windfall for construction workers in the region, generating a stable source of contract work that could keep some of the project’s dollars in Independence long-term. —Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2026

But global oil prices have since come back down to earth, leaving Alberta without a tax revenue windfall to invest in drawing Hollywood to produce locally. —Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 3 Mar. 2026

The Iran conflict is creating a windfall for US natural gas exporters. —Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026

Wagers about Iran have translated to windfalls for some users. —Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 2 Mar. 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