Seem half the fools got shut inside the cupboards (7)
I believe the answer is:
closets
'the cupboards' is the definition.
('closet' can be a synonym of 'cupboard')
'seem half the fools got shut' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is found in the answer.
'shut' could be 'close' (synonyms) and 'close' is located in the answer.
A single letter 's' remains which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).
'inside' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for closets that I've seen before include "American wardrobes" , "Hides away" .)