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

The event was not, however, a direct financial windfall for either the city or NASCAR. — Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

OpenAI and Anthropic employees could theoretically pool their IPO windfalls and buy nearly 29% of all homes in the San Francisco metro area, according to Redfin. — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026

Getting the role wasn’t any sort of immediate windfall either. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026

These are just two of several recent high-profile wins, providing a financial windfall for the venerable investment bank. — Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 14 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