bedfellow

noun

bed·​fel·​low ˈbed-ˌfe-(ˌ)lō 

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

Synonyms of bedfellow

• supporter
• ally

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

Convenience and inaction are often bedfellows. —Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026

That makes for some interesting bedfellows, by the way. —Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026

Drummers and electronic devices make strange bedfellows. —Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026

The Samsung-Amazon news is the latest example of the streaming business occasionally making strange bedfellows. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bedfellow

• marshmallow
• morello
• othello
• schoolfellow
• cello
• fellow
• jello
• mellow
• melo
• velo
• portobello
• violoncello

Kids Definition

bedfellow

noun

bed·​fel·​low ˈbed-ˌfel-ō 

: one who shares a bed with another