It often comes before a fall (8)

I believe the answer is:

ripeness

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'it often comes before a fall' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.

This is all the clue.

(Other definitions for ripeness that I've seen before include "Mature stage" , "Maturity" , "Ready-to-eat stage" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.

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