| COMPANION | Friend or helper (9) |
| ASSISTANT | Aide or helper (9) |
| ASSOCIATE | Friend or intimate (9) |
| EXTROVERT | Friend, or enemy, of an introvert |
| LOVERDONE | Friend or family member / Cliched |
| ACOLYTE | Priest's assistant or helper |
| AIDE | Assistant or helper (4) |
| ASEPALOUS | When English friends or French intruding, there's no blooming protection (9) |
| IMAGINARY | Like some friends or numbers |
| RNS | OR helpers |
| SCRUBNURSE | Operating room helper |
| AIDES | Assistants or helpers |
| GROUPCHAT | Conversation among friends ... or a hint to the animal collectives in the starred answers and the conversations that follow them |
| SLEEPOVER | Occasion for friends or lovers to spend the night together |
| SPAR | A boxing match, cockfight, mock battle or quarrel; a friend or pal; a mast or other nautical pole; or, a rafter (4) |
| OPENER | A conversation starter; an ah-so, church key, corkscrew, MagiCan, paperknife, waiter's friend or other device for undoing; a first act, goal or song; or, the initial bidder in bridge (6) |
| CRONY | From "long-lasting", Cambridge University slang for an old friend or contemporary, similar to Oxford's "chum", hence a word for any close or trusted companion or pal (5) |
| SMILES | Agreeable appearances, blessings, drinks of whisky, favours or treats; or, expressions of amusement, cheer or pleasure, perhaps when raising a glass with friends or experiencing chance encounters on t |
| GOSSIP | From the Old English meaning "godparent", a word for a close friend or one invited to attend a birth that later came to mean chitchat, idle talk or tittle-tattle (6) |
| FAMILIAR | From "household servant", a word for a close friend or other constant companion; or, a witch's attendant spirit, often in animal/demon form (8) |
