Close friend's hint (8)

I believe the answer is:

intimate

I believe this clue is a double definition.

'close friend's' is the first definition.
(thesaurus)

'hint' is the second definition.
(intimating is a kind of hinting)

(Other definitions for intimate that I've seen before include "Bosom" , "Sharing a close and affectionate friendship" , "Friendly" , "Tip off" , "cosy" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.

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