___ Moines

DES

This Iowa city's name starts with the French word for "of the."

This clue is looking for the French word "Des," which means "of the" and is commonly used in place names like "Des Moines." The blank before "Moines" hints at a short word that fits grammatically, and "Des" is the correct choice. It’s a straightforward fill-in-the-blank clue without any wordplay or hidden meanings.