15 Final “Jeopardy!” Answers That All Contestants Got Wrong
The game show “Jeopardy!” has delighted fans for decades with its thought-provoking trivia questions. At the end of each game, the host asks a Final Jeopardy question, which often proves tough to answer.
Over the years, the Final Jeopardy round has stumped many contestants, who place wagers on their guesses. Right or wrong, their responses usually provide some education and entertainment.
These are some of the Final Jeopardy answers that none of the contestants got right, pulled from various news sources and the online J! Archive. See how many leave you guessing, “What is…hmm?”
1: American Authors
During a March 2023 game, host Ken Jennings asked the contestants a question about American authors. The question was, “In a periodical in 1807, he called New York City ‘Gotham, Gotham! Most enlightened of cities.’”
The answer was Washington Irving. One contestant guessed Thomas Paine, and another predicted her end on the show, simply writing, “Goodbye cruel world.”
2: Shakespeare Characters
“Jeopardy!” took some heat from fans in May 2023 when a contestant’s spelling mistake cost him the game. The Final Jeopardy clue was, “Both of the names of these two lovers in a Shakespeare play come from the Latin word for ‘blessed.’”
The correct answer was Beatrice and Benedick from Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” Two contestants guessed Romeo and Juliet. But contestant Ben Chan guessed “Beatrice and Benedict,” a slight difference in spelling and pronunciation. The discrepancy caused Chan to get it wrong since “Jeopardy!” rules state that responses must be phonetically correct.
3. St. Louis Landmark
Some “Jeopardy!” contestants clearly haven’t spent time in St. Louis. The Final Jeopardy question in a February 2024 game was, “The distance between its two legs at ground level is 630 feet, making it as tall as it is wide.”
The answer was the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Two contestants incorrectly guessed the Eiffel Tower, while the third answered, “What is Christ the Redeemer?”
4: Major League Baseball Team
Sports fans often do well on the show, but a Final Jeopardy question in October 2015 left all three contestants scratching their heads. The question was, “When translated, the full name of this Major League Baseball team gets you a double redundancy.”
The three contestants submitted different answers, but none were correct. The right answer was, “What is the Los Angeles Angels?”
5: Presidents and Vice Presidents
“Jeopardy!” often asks questions about American presidents. In a January 2024 episode, the Final Jeopardy clue was, “The first vice president and the first president not born in one of the original 13 states were born in this state.”
The answer was Kentucky, though even some Kentuckians found the question confusing. Abraham Lincoln was the first U.S. president born in Kentucky, and Richard Mentor Johnson was born in Louisville, though Kentucky wasn’t a state at the time of his birth.
6: 1990s Geography
“Jeopardy!” has been stumping fans for decades, and Fox News rounded up some of the toughest Final Jeopardy clues from seasons past. This question from November 1993 made the list: “In area, it’s now the largest country whose boundaries are wholly within Europe.”
All three contestants responded with, “What is Germany?” The correct answer was Ukraine.
7: Fantastic Beasts
A challenging final question in December 2020 may have had some people reaching to check the Bible. The question was, “Symbols of strength in the Bible include behemoth and this horned creature, perhaps an extinct wild ox, which the King James Version mentions nine times.”
The answer was, “What is a unicorn?” Contestants guessed a manticore, a Gorgon, and the beast.
8: Book Titles
Jennings has made a name for himself as a “Jeopardy!” legend, but even he doesn’t get every question right. While competing in a June 2004 episode, Jennings missed this Final Jeopardy clue: “’I am the rose of Sharon’ and ‘When you know your name, you should hang on to it’ are from two different books titled this.”
Jennings didn’t know the answer, responding with, “What is?” The other two contestants guessed “The Grapes of Wrath.” The correct answer was, “‘What is Song of Solomon?’”
9: Animals
In March 1989, a question about large land animals baffled all three contestants. The question was, “The elephant is the largest land animal by weight; this animal is second.”
The contestants gave different responses, guessing buffalo, hippopotamus, and grizzly bear. The correct answer was the rhino.
10: Science Terms
For those who really want to dig deep into the “Jeopardy!” archives, there’s a fan website where you can view all the questions, including every missed Final Jeopardy clue. According to J! Archive, every contestant missed this question in May 2011: “This term for the lowest level of the ocean that the Sun’s rays can reach shares its name with a classic 1960s TV show.”
The answer was, “What is the twilight zone?” Contestants guessed the sunset and deep sea.
11: Royalty
In the first season of the show, all three contestants missed a Final Jeopardy question in April 1985. The question was, “Queen Elizabeth II’s father, he became this king when his brother abdicated the throne.”
Two contestants came close, guessing George VII and George V. The answer was George VI.
12: Civil War History
In a July 2016 episode, “Jeopardy!” contestants may have wished they had brushed up on their knowledge of the Civil War. The question was, “Of the four pre-war states that permitted slavery but did not secede, it was the largest in area and latest to join the Union.”
The contestants guessed Texas and Kentucky. Host Alex Trebek explained that Kentucky was one of the four states but not the largest. The correct answer was Missouri.
13: Southern Cities
Geography can be a tough category on “Jeopardy!” In June 1997, this Final Jeopardy clue had all three contestants baffled: “In the 1830s, settlers gave this city its name in the hope of having the University of Mississippi placed there.”
Two contestants guessed Jackson, and one responded with Pascagoula. The correct answer was, “What is Oxford?”
14: 20th Century Women
In a November 1998 episode, all contestants missed a challenging question in the category of 20th-century women. The question was, “At this woman’s April 1998 funeral, Gloria Steinem called her ‘The woman we want to be after the revolution.’”
The contestants’ responses included Lady Bird Johnson and Betty Shabazz. The correct answer was former New York Congresswoman Bella Abzug.
15: World History
Another early “Jeopardy!” season puzzler occurred during an October 1986 episode. The Final Jeopardy clue was, “Its 25th anniversary, Aug. 13, 1986, was celebrated with parades to the east and mourning to the west.”
No contestant guessed correctly. The answer was the Berlin Wall.
50 Weirdest Laws in Each State
Most Americans are clear on treating thy neighbor as they’d want to be treated to reduce the chance of fines and jail time. But did you know you could be breaking the law by carrying an ice cream cone in your pocket? These are the weirdest laws in each state, most of which courts don’t enforce.
50 Weirdest Laws in Each State That’ll Make You Chuckle
40 Most Confusing Acronyms
With many people wanting to send and receive information quickly, new acronyms seem to appear by the minute. The problem? Many Americans are left in the dust about what they mean.
