Arms of the fighting services (7,2,3)
I believe the answer is:
weapons of war
'arms of the fighting services' is the definition.
(arms as in weapons)
'arms of the fighting' is the wordplay.
'arms' becomes 'weapons' ('weapon' can be a synonym of 'arm').
'the fighting' becomes 'war'.
'weapons'+'of'+'war'='WEAPONS OF WAR'
I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution?
Install my app