| IDARE | "_ ___ you to..." (Start of a challenge) |
| ONCEUPONATIME | How to start of a children's story? (4,4,1,4) |
| ETC | Abbr. unlikely to start of a sentence |
| GAGE | An old word for a pledge, such as a glove, flung down as a symbol of a challenge to combat; or, the Baronet of Hengrave credited with introducing a damson-, mirabelleor plum-like green fruit to Englan |
| HALL | A room to deck with boughs of holly - a bit of a challenge (4) |
| DACAPO | Party has a limit that tells you to start again (2,4) |
| YELP | Site whose jobs page encourages you to "start a five star career" |
| APPEAL | The attraction of a challenge to a firearms licensing decision (6) |
| SHANTY | I refuse you to start song (6) |
| TRIAL | Word that follows Bushtucker to give the name of a challenge on I'm a Celeb (5) |
| ESP | If you have this, this puzzle isn't much of a challenge |
| DARE | "I ___ you!"; words of a challenge |
| DITHER | Fail to act decisively in the face of a challenge |
| ELLA | She returned as a bit of a challenge (4) |
| ASKED | "My brave fellows," George Washington said to his troops in December 1776, "you have done all I ___ you to do, and more than can be reasonably expected" -- and then he exhorted them to reenlist |
| SEE | Nice to ___ you, to ___ you, nice! (3) |
| AWARE | Knowing of a fight prior to start of election (5) |
| WALLSTREETCRASH | Law letters bit of a clue, maybe, to start of depression |
| EATMYHAT | End of a challenge |
| IFYOUDARE | End of a challenge |
