Shouting “$&%#!” they crash loudly (7)
Minute Cryptic Answer — July 31, 2026
Shouting “$&%#!” they crash loudly (7)
First letter shown — tap each tile or show the full answer below
Indicator
Shouting tells you to say the word represented by $&%#! out loud.
Fodder
$&%#! gives you a word by recognising the marks as symbols, then using that word as the sound source.
Definition
they crash loudly points to musical instruments that make a loud crashing sound.
Explainer
Answer
cymbals
Definition
they crash loudly describes musical instruments made of metal that crash together noisily.
Wordplay
Read $&%#! as SYMBOLS, the word represented by those marks.
Putting it together
Say SYMBOLS aloud and you get CYMBALS, which make that crashing sound.
The Minute Cryptic answer to Shouting “$&%#!” they crash loudly (7) is CYMBALS — 7 letters. It ran on Friday, July 31, 2026, a member submission from jojo!, and it turns on homophone wordplay. Below you'll find the answer on its own, the clue taken apart a piece at a time, and what to look for the next time the same trick shows up.
Shouting “$&%#!” they crash loudly (7) — answer
CYMBALS (7)
The letters run C • • • • • S, and the tiles above spell the answer out in full. If you only wanted a nudge, the highlighted clue above gives you the indicator, the fodder and the definition one at a time, the same way the game does.
Why the answer is CYMBALS
Split the clue in two. “they crash loudly” is the definition — the plain meaning CYMBALS has to satisfy, and it sits at the end of the clue, where definitions always are.
Everything else is wordplay. “Shouting” is the indicator, flagging a homophone, and it says to sound “$&%#!” out and use what you hear. Follow that through and you get CYMBALS, 7 letters, matching the (7).
Minute Cryptic also films a short explainer for this clue if you'd rather hear it walked through.
How homophone clues work
A homophone is solved by ear rather than by eye. The wordplay points at something that sounds like the answer, so the spelling in front of you is the misdirection — read the fodder aloud and listen for a word of the right length rather than staring at the letters.
Indicators to watch for: we hear, reportedly, said, sounds like, on the radio, out loud, announced. Spot one of those and you know which trick the setter is asking for, which is most of the battle in a cryptic clue.
Other recent Minute Cryptic clues
Minute Cryptic runs one clue a day, so there's no sibling clue to cross-check against. Here are the days before this one, with their answers:
The hints table for this clue, and how the game reveals each nudge, are on the Minute Cryptic answers page for Friday, July 31, 2026.
About Minute Cryptic
Minute Cryptic publishes one cryptic crossword clue a day at minutecryptic.com — no grid, no streak, just the clue, three nudges and a short video explainer. Scoring is golf-style: every clue carries a par counted in hints, and each nudge or revealed letter costs a stroke. Clues come from editor Liam Runnalls and from community setters. This one came from community member jojo!, with a par of 3 hints.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Minute Cryptic answer to Shouting “$&%#!” they crash loudly (7)?
CYMBALS — 7 letters. The clue ran on Friday, July 31, 2026, a member submission from jojo!.
Why is the answer CYMBALS?
“they crash loudly” is the definition. “Shouting” is the indicator, and it says to sound “$&%#!” out and use what you hear. That gives CYMBALS.
How many letters is the answer to Shouting “$&%#!” they crash loudly (7)?
7 letters, running C • • • • • S.
What kind of cryptic clue is Shouting “$&%#!” they crash loudly (7)?
A homophone clue. The indicator is “Shouting”. A homophone is solved by ear rather than by eye.
What was par for Shouting “$&%#!” they crash loudly (7)?
3 hints, and solvers average 3. Par counts nudges rather than guesses, so taking fewer than 3 on this clue puts you under par. 65,804 people have solved it.
Where can I see the rest of the Friday, July 31, 2026 Minute Cryptic?
The Minute Cryptic answers page for Friday, July 31, 2026 has the same clue with every nudge highlighted, the hints table and the day's countdown.