Crossword Clue: Fencing sword
Here's the answer to the Fencing sword crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: EPEE
The answer to "Fencing sword" is EPEE. Epee runs 4 letters — 3 vowels and 1 consonant — opening with E and closing on E. In a grid it fills a 4-square slot whose letters are each shared with a crossing word, so the intersections do a lot of the heavy lifting when the clue itself is tough.
Origin & meaning
The epee is the heaviest of the three fencing weapons, scoring touches anywhere on the body. Its trio of E's and single P makes it a lifesaver when a corner demands several vowels.
Common usage
You'll see EPEE in grids regularly — its 4-letter, 3 vowels shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the E or E, EPEE tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like EPEE are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet EPEE again and again, and recognizing it instantly is one of the quiet skills that separates fast solvers from slow ones.
Stuck on this clue?
The fastest way past a stubborn clue like this one is the grid itself: pencil in the easy crossing answers first, and EPEE will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
The clue "Fencing sword" is just one way to arrive at EPEE. Across different puzzles and editors you may see the same answer clued as "Olympic blade". Recognizing that a single answer can wear many clues is one of the fastest ways to level up as a solver.
Example sentences
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing EPEE into the grid took no time at all."
- "Epee is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'Fencing sword' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in EPEE almost immediately."