Ran out of ranch dressing as we went back for something to snack on (6)

The Minute Cryptic answer to “Ran out of ranch dressing as we went back for something to snack on” (6) is CASHEW — 6 letters. It ran on Saturday, August 1, 2026, a member submission from Jack Porter, and it turns on deletion, container and reversal 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.

“Ran out of ranch dressing as we went back for something to snack on” (6) — answer

CASHEW (6)

The letters run C • • • • W, 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 CASHEW

Split the clue in two. “something to snack on” is the definition — the plain meaning CASHEW has to satisfy, and it sits at the end of the clue, where definitions always are.

Everything else is wordplay. “out of … dressing … went back” is the indicator, flagging a deletion, container and reversal, and it operates on “Ran … ranch … as … we”. Follow that through and you get CASHEW, 6 letters, matching the (6).

Minute Cryptic also films a short explainer for this clue if you'd rather hear it walked through.

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:

• Shouting “$&%#!” they crash loudly (7) → CYMBALS
• Bergamot herbal extract for bodybuilder? (6) → MOTHER

The hints table for this clue, and how the game reveals each nudge, are on the Minute Cryptic answers page for Saturday, August 1, 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 Jack Porter, with a par of 2 hints.

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