Crossword Clue: Joint that bends the leg
Here's the answer to the Joint that bends the leg crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: KNEE
KNEE solves the clue "Joint that bends the leg". Spanning 4 letters (2 vowels, 2 consonants), it begins at K and ends at E. 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 knee is the body's largest joint, protected in front by the kneecap, or patella. Bending it to kneel has signaled respect, prayer, and submission across cultures for centuries.
Common usage
Knee turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like KNEE interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 4-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 4 letters, KNEE 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 KNEE'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 KNEE — 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 that bends the leg' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in KNEE almost immediately."
- "Once the K was confirmed by the crossing word, KNEE was the only entry that fit."
- "A 4-letter slot and a clue like 'Joint that bends the leg'? That's KNEE nine times out of ten."