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

• benediction
• benefit
• blessing
• boon
• felicity
• godsend
• good
• manna

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

Not surprisingly, all North Carolina hospitals opted into this windfall program. —Ge Bai, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Alsup also created an online tool allowing former owners to search for a property address and learn whether there is a windfall profit. —Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 4 Nov. 2024

The intrigue: All this political ad spending has been a windfall for local TV stations, Axios' Sara Fischer reports. —Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024

Activist pressure Starboard managing member Jeff Smith contends that Pfizer failed to capitalize on the windfall earned from its Covid products and, in the process, destroyed tens of billions of dollars in market value. —Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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