Nothing in vault where gold should be - it's a bit of a shock (4)
Minute Cryptic Answer — August 03, 2026
Nothing in vault where gold should be - it's a bit of a shock (4)
First letter shown — tap each tile or show the full answer below
Indicator
in … where … should be tells you to remove the letters for gold and put the short form of nothing in their place inside vault.
Fodder
Nothing … vault … gold gives O for Nothing, VAULT for vault, and AU for gold; use them in that replacement.
Definition
it's a bit of a shock points to something associated with an electrical shock.
Explainer
Answer
volt
Definition
it's a bit of a shock describes a unit measuring electrical potential.
Wordplay
Remove AU, meaning gold, from VAULT and put O, meaning nothing, in its place to make VOLT.
Putting it together
That replacement gives VOLT, which is tied to an electrical shock.
Recent clues
- Nothing in vault where gold should be - it's a bit of a shock (4)Aug 3
- Tinkle all over the place after surprise entry... Maybe knock first? (6,1)Aug 2
- Ran out of ranch dressing as we went back for something to snack on (6)Aug 1
- Shouting “$&%#!” they crash loudly (7)Jul 31
- Bergamot herbal extract for bodybuilder? (6)Jul 30
The Minute Cryptic answer to “Nothing in vault where gold should be - it's a bit of a shock” (4) is VOLT — 4 letters. It ran on Monday, August 3, 2026, a member submission from juggler, and it turns on container 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.
“Nothing in vault where gold should be - it's a bit of a shock” (4) — answer
VOLT (4)
The letters run V • • T, 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 VOLT
Split the clue in two. “it's a bit of a shock” is the definition — the plain meaning VOLT has to satisfy, and it sits at the end of the clue, where definitions always are.
Everything else is wordplay. “in … where … should be” is the indicator, flagging a container, and it says to nest one part of “Nothing … vault … gold” inside the other. Follow that through and you get VOLT, 4 letters, matching the (4).
Minute Cryptic also films a short explainer for this clue if you'd rather hear it walked through.
How container clues work
A container clue puts one string of letters inside another. Solve the two pieces separately — the short insert and the word that swallows it — then slide the insert through every position until the definition fits.
Indicators to watch for: in, inside, around, swallowing, holding, eating, over, about. 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:
- Tinkle all over the place after surprise entry... Maybe knock first? (6,1) → SILENT K
- Ran out of ranch dressing as we went back for something to snack on (6) → CASHEW
- 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 Monday, August 3, 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 juggler, with a par of 2 hints.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Minute Cryptic answer to “Nothing in vault where gold should be - it's a bit of a shock” (4)?
VOLT — 4 letters. The clue ran on Monday, August 3, 2026, a member submission from juggler.
Why is the answer VOLT?
“it's a bit of a shock” is the definition. “in … where … should be” is the indicator, and it says to nest one part of “Nothing … vault … gold” inside the other. That gives VOLT.
How many letters is the answer to “Nothing in vault where gold should be - it's a bit of a shock” (4)?
4 letters, running V • • T.
What kind of cryptic clue is “Nothing in vault where gold should be - it's a bit of a shock” (4)?
A container clue. The indicator is “in … where … should be”. A container clue puts one string of letters inside another.
What was par for “Nothing in vault where gold should be - it's a bit of a shock” (4)?
2 hints, and solvers average 0. Par counts nudges rather than guesses, so taking fewer than 2 on this clue puts you under par. 15 people have solved it.
Where can I see the rest of the Monday, August 3, 2026 Minute Cryptic?
The Minute Cryptic answers page for Monday, August 3, 2026 has the same clue with every nudge highlighted, the hints table and the day's countdown.