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

Nigeria’s controversial decision to scrap fuel subsidies left the country better prepared to capture a windfall from spiking oil prices, and protect consumers from higher costs, the top energy advisor to President Bola Tinubu told Semafor. —Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 24 Mar. 2026

Friday’s bar event was a direct ode to that sensibility, combined with the notion that such monitoring could also lead to a financial windfall. —Gary Grumbach, NBC news, 21 Mar. 2026

But now his war with Iran – and the resulting spike in gas prices – could wipe out a sizeable slice of that windfall for many folks, depending on how long the conflict in the Middle East lasts. —Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026

Musk also asserted that his decision to follow through on the deal at the original sales price provided a huge windfall for most Twitter shareholders. —Barbara Ortutay, Los Angeles Times, 20 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