windfall

noun

wind·​fall ˈwin(d)-ˌfȯl How to pronounce windfall (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Also, while Cantwell and Campbell have touted projections of a massive windfall of additional media rights revenue, many others are skeptical that would actually be the case. Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025 Earlier this year, an offhand comment from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sparked speculation that the government’s gold hoard would be marked to market, releasing a windfall of hundreds of billions of dollars. Jason Ma, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025 Subscribe now Over the summer, it was widely reported that Reeves was considering a bank windfall tax to shore up a multibillion-pound hole in the public finances. Hugh Leask,chloe Taylor,ganesh Rao, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025 Plus, the cash payouts can feel like windfalls when your account value is shrinking. Catherine Brock, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for windfall

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of windfall was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Windfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/windfall. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

windfall

noun
wind·​fall -ˌfȯl How to pronounce windfall (audio)
1
: something (as a tree or fruit) blown down by the wind
2
: an unexpected gift, gain, or help

More from Merriam-Webster on windfall

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