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

Today, Unitree’s pre-IPO investors are sitting on a windfall gain, although nobody really knows if there’s a commercial application for the gangly humanoid contraptions. — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2026

The question is whether Miami is simply becoming a place where billionaires park their wealth, Fortune said, or whether their wealth is producing a measurable economic windfall for South Florida. — Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026

But that potential multimillion-dollar employee windfall appears to be raising concern among company leaders. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

Tariff refunds were a windfall for US businesses in their most recent quarter. — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 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