Minute Cryptic #766 lands on July 31, 2026, and it hinges on a homophone. The clue makes a lot more sense once you say part of it out loud rather than reading it silently, which is exactly what the trick relies on. If you want to solve it yourself, work through the pointers below before scrolling to the answer.
Quick answer: The solution to Minute Cryptic #766 for July 31, 2026 is CYMBALS (7 letters).
Today’s clue and hints (July 31, 2026)
The clue for Minute Cryptic #766 reads: “Shouting ‘$&%#!’ they crash loudly” (7). The answer is seven letters long. Here are three graded pointers if you want to close in on it without seeing the full solution.
- Definition: It sits at the end of the clue. Think of objects known for making a loud, sharp crashing sound.
- Indicator: The word “Shouting” flags a homophone. Something in the clue needs to be said aloud, and the answer sounds like that spoken word.
- Fodder: The string ‘$&%#!’ stands in for something. Consider what those symbols usually represent when a character shouts them in a comic or cartoon.
How the clue breaks down
The answer is CYMBALS, and both routes through the clue meet at the same word.
- Definition: “They crash loudly” describes cymbals directly. They are percussion instruments made for producing a loud crash.
- Indicator: “Shouting” tells you to say the fodder aloud, marking the homophone.
- Fodder: ‘$&%#!’ is the familiar visual shorthand for swearing. Read aloud, those expletives are SYMBOLS, and SYMBOLS spoken aloud sounds like CYMBALS.
That gives you a tidy pairing of definition and homophone, each arriving at the answer on its own, which is how a well-built cryptic clue is meant to behave.
Recent Minute Cryptic answers
If you missed a day or want to compare against earlier puzzles, here are the most recent solutions leading up to July 31.
| Date | Clue # | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| July 30, 2026 | 765 | MOTHER |
| July 29, 2026 | 764 | ARCHIPELAGO |
| July 28, 2026 | 763 | EXILED |
| July 27, 2026 | 762 | TOES |
| July 26, 2026 | 761 | FINANCE |
| July 25, 2026 | 760 | CHEMISTRY |
| July 24, 2026 | 759 | UPPER CASE |
| July 23, 2026 | 758 | CLUE |
| July 22, 2026 | 757 | HOTEL |
| July 21, 2026 | 756 | PRIMEVAL |
| July 20, 2026 | 755 | TELL |
| July 19, 2026 | 754 | HAUNTING |
| July 18, 2026 | 753 | FLU |
| July 17, 2026 | 752 | PRODUCER |
How Minute Cryptic works
Minute Cryptic is a single-clue cryptic crossword that refreshes when midnight passes in your local time zone. Every clue offers two separate paths to the same answer. One is a plain definition, and the other is a wordplay construction.
The definition is a straightforward hint that sits at the start or the end of the clue and points at the answer’s meaning. The wordplay is the mechanical route, built from fodder and indicators. Fodder is the raw letter material, and indicators are the action words telling you what to do with it, whether that means saying it aloud for a homophone, rearranging letters for an anagram, reversing a word, or spotting a hidden run inside the clue.
The hint system is designed to be forgiving. You can reveal the definition, the indicators, the fodder, or individual letters one at a time, so there is no way to fail outright. Hint usage is measured against the average player rather than counted as a penalty, which keeps the puzzle approachable for newer solvers. If you are just getting started with cryptics, the guided Courses on the Minute Cryptic website and its iOS and Android apps walk through the core techniques before you take on the daily clue.
Come back tomorrow for the next clue, when the puzzle resets and a fresh definition-and-wordplay pairing takes its place.
