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
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
From a business perspective, the heritage travel market can bring a financial windfall to a city or region.
—
Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
What looks like a housing affordability crisis from one end of the economy feels like a windfall at the other end as scarcity pushed home values higher.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Some Democrats believe blocking the DHS bill to shut down ICE would not be effective, because the agency is already sitting on that windfall from the tax law and because a closure would sweep up other agencies, like TSA and the Coast Guard.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Taxpayers can expect a small windfall from refunds this filing season, and several stocks could see a bump as a result, according to Wolfe Research.
—Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for windfall
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Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
What looks like a housing affordability crisis from one end of the economy feels like a windfall at the other end as scarcity pushed home values higher.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Some Democrats believe blocking the DHS bill to shut down ICE would not be effective, because the agency is already sitting on that windfall from the tax law and because a closure would sweep up other agencies, like TSA and the Coast Guard.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Taxpayers can expect a small windfall from refunds this filing season, and several stocks could see a bump as a result, according to Wolfe Research.
—Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for windfall
Cite this Entry
“Windfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/windfall. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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