Crossword Clue: Joint above the forearm
Here's the answer to the Joint above the forearm crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: ELBOW
ELBOW solves the clue "Joint above the forearm". Spanning 5 letters (2 vowels, 3 consonants), it begins at E and ends at W. Like most crossword fill, it lives at the intersection of two words, so a single confirmed crossing letter frequently reveals the whole entry.
Origin & meaning
The elbow is the hinge joint connecting the upper arm to the forearm. Its name comes from Old English words meaning 'the bend of the ell,' an ell being an old unit of length based on the arm.
Common usage
Elbow turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like ELBOW interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 5-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 5 letters, ELBOW shows up in daily mini and themed puzzles far more than longer, obscure words. It's the kind of entry worth memorizing — the more common short words you know cold, the faster you solve.
Stuck on this clue?
If this clue won't come, leave it and fill the answers that cross it. Once a couple of ELBOW's letters are locked by neighboring words, the entry tends to reveal itself. Crossings beat staring at a clue every time.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue ELBOW — sometimes with a straight dictionary definition, sometimes with wordplay, a pun, or a fill-in-the-blank — but the answer itself stays the same. Learning to spot the answer behind the disguise is a core crossword skill.
Example sentences
- "Seeing 'Joint above the forearm' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in ELBOW almost immediately."
- "Once the E was confirmed by the crossing word, ELBOW was the only entry that fit."
- "A 5-letter slot and a clue like 'Joint above the forearm'? That's ELBOW nine times out of ten."