Crossword Genius

Darkness is terrible thing (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

night

'darkness' is the definition.
(night is a period of darkness)

'terrible thing' is the wordplay.
'terrible' is an anagram indicator.
'thing' with letters rearranged gives 'NIGHT'.

'is' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for night that I've seen before include "Ignorance" , "A Hard Day's (the Beatles)" , "Illumination needed now" , "Time between days" , "Hours of darkness" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent and The Sun.
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