| 100% | HOUR | 4 | "The darkest ___ is just before the dawn." |
| 78% | ITS | 3 | "___ always darkest just before the dawn" |
| 73% | THEDAWN | 7 | The darkest hour is just before __ |
| 61% | ARE | 3 | "Things ___ always darkest before the dawn" |
| 60% | JUST | 4 | "It's always darkest ___ before the dawn" |
| 58% | TRITE | 5 | Like the phrase "It's always darkest before the dawn" |
| 58% | ASHOT | 5 | "It was just ___ in the dark": 2 wds. |
| 56% | SLOWRIDE | 8 | 1976 hit whose title is sung just before the line "Take it easy" |
| 51% | ELEVEHOUR | 9 | Just before the deadline |
| 51% | LASTMINUTE | 10 | Just before the deadline |
| 51% | FRIDAY | 6 | Just before the weekend |
| 50% | FRI | 3 | Just before the weekend: Abbr. |
| 50% | OPA | 3 | Legislation that President George H. W. Bush signed in 1990 that was introduced for enactment just before the Exxon Valdez disaster |
| 49% | SPRING | 6 | The flowering season just before summer |
| 49% | SEALEVEL | 8 | The Caspian is just below it |
| 48% | ONETO | 5 | Just before the top of the hour |
| 48% | EDGEIN | 6 | Add just before the deadline |
| 48% | SEMIS | 5 | Matches just before the final |
| 47% | DARKEST | 7 | "It's always ___ before the dawn" |
| 47% | ONE | 3 | ___ day is just like the next. |
| 47% | HAVENOCLUE | 10 | Be in the dark |
| 47% | WRESTLER | 8 | The Rock was this before he became an actor |
| 47% | MAHJONGG | 8 | '20s fad just before the crossword craze |
| 47% | KROON | 5 | Currency of Estonia just before the euro |
| 47% | LEGO | 4 | Whose business is just around the block? |
| 46% | HASNOCLUE | 9 | Is totally in the dark |
| 46% | ODARKTHIRTY | 11 | After midnight but before the dawn, in slang |
| 46% | FINALPHASE | 10 | Part of a project just before the end |
| 46% | NEBR | 4 | Its motto is "Equality before the law": Abbr. |
| 46% | NEB | 3 | St. whose motto is "Equality Before the Law" |