Showing little thought, placing one container inside another (6)

I believe the answer is:

vacant

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'showing little thought placing one container inside another' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.

'placing one container inside another' is the wordplay.
'placing one' becomes 'va' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should believe this answer much more).
'container' becomes 'can' (can is a kind of container).
'inside' means to look at the middle letters.
The middle letter of 'another' is 't'.
'va'+'can'+'t'='VACANT'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for vacant that I've seen before include "available" , "Unoccupied - unthinking" , "Not filled, job or house" , "unemployed" , "Empty, not occupied" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

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