Close female friend ... in relative terms

Editorially verified for the Oct 18, 2026

14 Across

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Two sisters spending time together.

Clue explainedFact checked

A sister is a female sibling, so she’s a close female friend “in relative terms”: a relative can literally be a family member. The clue leans on both senses of relative and sisterhood.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay

NYT Crossword

This clue's Sunday, October 18, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Beneficiary of early capital
  2. 8Bless, in a way
  3. 14Close female friend ... in relative terms
  4. 20Less than satisfactory, slangily
  5. 21Like some cyborg parts
  6. 22Extended play?
  7. 23Heyhowareyou
  8. 25Journalist Michele with two Peabody Awards
  9. 26Walkers, informally
  10. 27Send
  11. 28Softens with sudden sympathy or affection
  12. 30"Behold," in Latin
  13. 31Bob ___, alter ego of Mr. Incredible
  14. 32"What"
  15. 35Mythical figure whose name means "murmuring rock"
  16. 38Justice ___ Coney Barrett
  17. 39Summer setting in S.F.
  18. 40Party takeaway
  19. 41N.F.L. accolade
  20. 44View spoiler
  21. 49All--can-eat buffet
  22. 51Fiber-rich substance
  23. 53Exam for future docs
  24. 54Fenway squad
  25. 55"Since brass, ___ stone, ___ earth, ___ boundless sea ...": Shak.
  26. 56___-mo
  27. 57Steamy
  28. 59Zip
  29. 61It follows a coin toss
  30. 64Zip
  31. 65This
  32. 70Large volume
  33. 71They can make a pronounced difference
  34. 72Bond
  35. 73Historic figure targeted in Stephen King's time-travel novel "11/22/63"
  36. 75Small + or -
  37. 76Apt name for a thief
  38. 78Tree that can be a source of water for thirsty elephants
  39. 83Nibble
  40. 84Brand represented by Happy the Oil Drop
  41. 86See 88-Across
  42. 88Here
  43. 90Admits
  44. 92Follow-up to "Sit!"
  45. 93Off work, for short
  46. 94Figure, informally
  47. 95Making a strong effort
  48. 97Non, ni, 'a'ole
  49. 103Nickname for Ellen or Helen
  50. 104[Beep!]
  51. 105One of the Three Musketeers
  52. 106"S.N.L." alum Gardner
  53. 108Artist who kept a pet ocelot
  54. 112In
  55. 114Taib? Tbia?
  56. 117It's cold in Italy
  57. 118Shifts gears, say
  58. 119Nation bordering the Black Sea
  59. 120Analogue of a delete key
  60. 121In
  61. 122"That ship has sailed"

Down

  1. 1Short cut
  2. 2Beep, e.g.
  3. 3Undercover?
  4. 4Has regrets about
  5. 5___ Allen, host of "Chopped"
  6. 6Make public, as secret documents
  7. 7Novel form of summer escapism?
  8. 8Connive with, maybe
  9. 9Second-generation Japanese American
  10. 10Alley ___
  11. 11How a boss might communicate new policy
  12. 12With courtesy
  13. 13Immune system agent
  14. 14Toothpaste brand since 1961
  15. 15Italian diminutive suffix
  16. 16It turns when driven
  17. 17Logo of the W.N.B.A.'s New York Liberty
  18. 18Name found in "Americana"
  19. 19Go back to square one
  20. 24Sex symbol of the 1950s-'60s, familiarly
  21. 29Hypercompetitive and driven, say
  22. 31Staff
  23. 33Street application
  24. 34Indigenous people of the Salt Lake Valley
  25. 35Weak, as an excuse
  26. 36"Ibis" poet
  27. 37Bob who painted "Cabin at Sunset," which sold for over $1 million to benefit public media
  28. 40Fragrant holiday purchase
  29. 42Gawker
  30. 43Goody-goody sort
  31. 45Young salmon
  32. 46Eight-related
  33. 47Like Amazon forests, typically
  34. 48Series finale?
  35. 50Maze's goal
  36. 51Comes into one's own
  37. 52[So-o-o funny!]
  38. 56Reason to head for the hills
  39. 58Drill
  40. 60"Geaux Tigers!" sch.
  41. 62John M. ___, director of 2024's "Wicked"
  42. 63Showing signs of working out, say
  43. 65"Let's do this!"
  44. 66Use a divining rod
  45. 67Midwest birthplace of Marlon Brando
  46. 68Buddies, in Bayonne
  47. 69Wisecrack
  48. 73Musical Yoko
  49. 74Big bang source
  50. 77Like London's Kew Gardens
  51. 79Surprised greeting
  52. 80Word with black or coffee
  53. 81Covenant keepers
  54. 82Something in which you might stand for a spell
  55. 85"Lay it on me"
  56. 87Ousted, democratically
  57. 89Sushi topper
  58. 90Boutonniere counterpart
  59. 91Eccentric
  60. 94Many a modern-day septuagenarian
  61. 96Pricing game on "The Price Is Right"
  62. 97Avatar, e.g.
  63. 98Smash hit
  64. 99Teresa of ___
  65. 100Sacred Sanskrit texts
  66. 101Card game played in Dickens's "The Pickwick Papers"
  67. 102Drew back
  68. 107Website with a "Star Seller" program
  69. 108Binary
  70. 109Setting for most of the TV series "Pachinko"
  71. 110Time for a social media break, maybe
  72. 111___ fixe
  73. 113Office address abbr.
  74. 115Cupcake, in Ireland
  75. 116Not to

The answer to “Close female friend ... in relative terms” in the New York Times crossword is SISTER — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 18, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 14-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Close female friend ... in relative terms” answer

SISTER (6 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is SISTER.

What does SISTER mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of SISTER is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a woman or girl in relation to other daughters and sons of her parents
  • a female friend or associate, especially a female fellow member of a trade union or other organization
  • a female fellow adherent of a religion or member of a religious denomination

When else has “Close female friend ... in relative terms” appeared?

New York Times reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

October 18, 2026 (most recent) → SISTER. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Close female friend ... in relative terms”?

The answer is SISTER, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on October 18, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Close female friend ... in relative terms”?

6 letters: SISTER.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on October 18, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 14-Across.

Can “Close female friend ... in relative terms” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for October 18, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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