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

• 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

Unfortunately, in the United States, common sense often takes a back seat, and our litigation system is abused to turn personal injuries into financial windfalls. —Carrie Lukas, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Keep windfall fruit cleaned up under trees. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2025

Hiring a celebrity coach like Deion Sanders comes at a significant price, and one the University of Colorado was more than happy to pay given the windfall his presence has produced. —Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025

Meanwhile, the reciprocal and sectoral tariffs are expected to generate $300 billion-$400 billion a year, a huge revenue windfall that was seen propping up the fiscal outlook. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025

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