15 Final Jeopardy! Questions Everybody Got Wrong
Jeopardy! may be fun to watch, but you can't help but feel for the contestants when they get hit with those brain-busting Final Jeopardy! questions.
Category: Asian Geography
Clue: It’s the only country that borders both the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf.
Correct response: Iran
On October 12, 2017, the winner of the Final Jeopardy! came out on top with a grand total of $1, while his two opponents wound up with $0. But here’s what’s really crazy: the losers (“non-winners” in Jeopardy! parlance) went home with more money than the winner! That’s because, according to the show’s rules, the contestant with the largest money total at the end of Final Jeopardy! goes home with that amount of money, while the second- and third-place contestants get consolation prizes of $2,000 and $1,000 respectively. This clue is the Final Jeopardy! that yielded such upside-down results.
We collected some more Final Jeopardy! questions that stumped everybody. See if you can get the questions right.
Category: Authors
Clue: In 1937 his sister said he had “hats of every description,” which he would use as a “foundation of his next book.”
Correct response: Dr. Seuss.
Enjoying these final Jeopardy! questions? Check out the Jeopardy! categories that stump everyone.
Category: World Leaders
Clue: He came to power 34 days before FDR and left it 19 days after him.
Correct response: Adolf Hitler.
Here are 15 history questions people always get wrong.
Category: 2014 Newsmakers
Clue: Both making news in June, these 2 Davids with similar last names are LeBron’s new coach and Eric Cantor’s conqueror.
Correct response: David Blatt and David Bratt.
Scoring perfect so far? Try your hand at these seriously tough trivia questions.
Category: Historical Figures
Clue: A 2012 poll by Britain’s national army museum voted this man, born in 1732, as the nation’s greatest military enemy.
Correct response: George Washington
Take a look back at Alex Trebek’s most memorable Jeopardy! moments.
Category: Sports Figures
Clue: He was featured on the September 22, 1947 cover of Time with the caption “He and the boss took a chance.”
Correct response: Jackie Robinson.
See if you can answer these real Jeopardy! questions about geography.
Category: Wordplay
Clue: Subtract a letter from the name of a keystroke found in computer commands and you get this violent reaction to social change.
Correct response: Backlash (from “backslash”)
Here are more real Jeopardy! questions about words.
Category: Coats of Arms
Clue: This country’s coat of arms features a palm tree and a 19th century American sailing ship.
Correct response: Liberia.
Test your knowledge with our flags of the world quiz.
Category: French Food History
Clue: A popular product was born when Jean Naigeon of this city substituted the juice of unripe grapes for vinegar.
Correct response: Dijon.
How extensive is your culinary vocabulary? Take our food-themed Word Power challenge and find out!
Category: Tony Nominations
Clue: Although she has appeared in only 2 Broadway musicals, she got Tony nominations for both, for 1962 and 1964.
Correct response: Barbra Streisand.
Category: Inventions
Clue: This machine was invented in 1929; the government began buying them to help prevent any more in a series of Army Air Corps fatalities.
Correct response: The flight simulator.
Here are 20 things you had no idea were invented in Canada.
Category: The U.S. Government
Clue: On August 15, 1994, 59 years and 1 day after FDR signed the original act, Bill Clinton made this an independent agency.
Correct response: The Social Security Administration.
These brain games are guaranteed to boost your brain power.
Category: 21st Century Thought
Clue: The title subject of a 2007 bestseller, it was discovered in Australia where today it’s a state emblem.
Correct response: The black swan.
If you already knew that, you’re probably ready to tackle Reader’s Digest‘s toughest general knowledge quiz questions.
Category: Hymns
Finally, here’s one of the final Jeopardy! questions we’re almost glad the contestants got wrong because one guesser’s response yielded such a hilarious response from Alex and the audience:
Clue: “A Christian hymn and a Jewish holiday hymn are both titled this, also the name of a 2009 Tony-nominated musical.”
Funniest guess ever, from contestant Choyon Manjrekar: “What is Kinky Boots?”
Correct response: Rock of Ages.
Next, see if you can answer these real dictionary questions from Jeopardy!
