Starts of some pranks

DARES

["Think of the bold first moves in challenges that might involve jumping off a high dive or eating something spicy—often issued as a test of courage."]

The clue "Starts of some pranks" hints at the first letters of words in the phrase "some pranks." If you take the first letters of "some pranks," you get "S" and "P," but that’s not quite right—it’s actually pointing to the word "dares," since many pranks begin with someone being dared to do something. The answer plays on the idea that "dares" are often how pranks get started.