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

Marseille will have missed out on a further financial windfall after the Ligue 1 club’s exit from the Champions League at the league phase stage this week under former Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi. —Andy Naylor, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026

The Trumps’ first windfall since my August tally occurred through American Bitcoin, a company that mines new bitcoin with the intent to hoard it. —David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026

The hard part is what comes now, setting up Luka to succeed, using the windfall to win championships. —Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026

Before the council voted on anything, Baltimore County’s David Plymyer warned them exactly how these changes would create a windfall. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 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