Crossword Clue: Island of Napoleon's first exile
Here's the answer to the Island of Napoleon's first exile crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: ELBA
"Island of Napoleon's first exile" points to ELBA, a 4-letter entry that starts with E and finishes on A and carries 2 vowels. Because every square it occupies also belongs to a down or across answer crossing it, you can often back into ELBA from the letters around it rather than the clue alone.
Origin & meaning
Elba is a small Italian island off Tuscany where Napoleon was exiled in 1814. He escaped after less than a year to begin his final Hundred Days.
Common usage
Compact, vowel-friendly answers such as ELBA are a constructor's staple: they slot into a 4-square space and play nicely in both directions. Solvers who recognize it on sight save real time on the daily puzzle.
Crossword trivia
Elba belongs to the small vocabulary of words that appear constantly in grids. Because it's only 4 letters, editors can drop it almost anywhere, which is why regular solvers know it on sight.
Stuck on this clue?
Stuck on "Island of Napoleon's first exile"? Don't force it — solve the clues crossing this slot instead. One or two intersecting letters usually make ELBA obvious. Working from the crossings is the single most useful habit for getting faster.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue ELBA — 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
- "Elba is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'Island of Napoleon's first exile' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in ELBA almost immediately."
- "Once the E was confirmed by the crossing word, ELBA was the only entry that fit."