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.
But Anderson knows that, amid clashing political extremes, racial and ideological purists can make surprising, and treacherous, bedfellows. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025 Farmer livelihood at risk of 'withering away' Hoosier farmers and Chinese importers may make for strange bedfellows, but the simple mechanics of supply and demand have the two entangled financially. Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 26 Sep. 2025 More importantly, the film shows how extreme ideologies create strange bedfellows, which Baranov uses to his advantage, funding underground biker militias and esoteric religious headbangers alike as ballast to prop up Putin’s hardline rule. Damon Wise, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2025 To say this was a case of strange bedfellows is an understatement, but the short also considers how the U.S. ignored the acts of these war criminals in order to use their knowledge to America’s benefit. Will Harris, EW.com, 17 Aug. 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 4 Oct. 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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