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 For the motorcycle industry, and those that race them, the pandemic created odd bedfellows. Maury Brown, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 But in the odd and temperamental place that is our state Capitol, sometimes necessity makes for strange bedfellows. Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024 The result has been an incomplete picture of how and when ants and fungi became bedfellows. Byariana Remmel, science.org, 3 Oct. 2024 Music and fashion have long made for excellent bedfellows—whether high or low, historical or modern. Gemma A. Williams, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bedfellow 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bedfellow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near bedfellow

Cite this Entry

“Bedfellow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedfellow. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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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