bedfellow

noun

bed·​fel·​low ˈbed-ˌfe-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce bedfellow (audio)
1
: one who shares a bed with another
2
: a person or thing closely associated with another : ally
political bedfellows
often used in the phrase strange bedfellows to describe an unlikely alliance of people or things
Politics indeed makes strange bedfellows and on the issue of local regulation of pesticides, environmental and states' rights advocates have joined forces.Elena S. Rutrick
Polities and good architecture are strange bedfellows, but in Barcelona the marriage has worked.Cathleen McGuigan

Examples of bedfellow in a Sentence

a child-welfare cause that has made bedfellows of activists who are normally on opposite ends of the political spectrum
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.
The push for greater affordability has also made for strange bedfellows as conservatives in the state legislature — which is dominated by the far right — embrace some of Austin’s moves with similar policies at the state level. Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 27 Feb. 2025 Programmatic advertising often creates odd bedfellows. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025 Last, but certainly not least on our list of last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts, a new pair of pajamas for your resident bedfellow is always a bright idea. Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 30 Jan. 2025 The crass humor of Delusional Thomas and the fixation on death of Faces make jarring bedfellows in Balloonerism. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 17 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bedfellow

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

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Cite this Entry

“Bedfellow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedfellow. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

bedfellow

noun
bed·​fel·​low ˈbed-ˌfel-ō How to pronounce bedfellow (audio)
: one who shares a bed with another
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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