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14 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.

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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. Like these final Jeopardy questions? These are the 7 Jeopardy! categories that stump everyone.

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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.

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Category: World Leaders

Clue: He came to power 34 days before FDR and left it 19 days after him.

Correct response: Adolf Hitler. Next, check out these toughest dictionary questions from jeopardy.

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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. Think you’d be able to get these Final Jeopardy questions right, and want to be on Jeopardy? This is how to get on a game show.

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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

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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. Here are a few of the Jeopardy! categories that stump everybody. 

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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”)

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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. Wondering if getting these final Jeopardy questions right means you’re a genius? This Mensa quiz will tell you.

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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. Next up, try these tricky Star Wars trivia questions.

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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.

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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.

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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. Still want to test your knowledge? Try these animal questions that seem easy, but aren’t.

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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. Test your smarts further and see if you can solve some of the hardest riddles ever.

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Category: The Oscars

Clue: This Brit is the only actor to get Oscar nominations for playing two real-life U.S. Presidents, both for 1990s films.

Correct response: Anthony Hopkins.

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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.

Jody L. Rohlena
Jody is the Content Director of Reader’s Digest. She has held top-level positions in print, digital, social media and creative leadership at Consumer Reports, ShopSmart, WebMD and other major media companies. Proud career highlights include interviewing Jimmy Kimmel about his appendix, publishing a poem about her family’s Century Farm and not poking Nick Cannon in the eye during a Today Show appearance. A graduate of the University of Iowa, she lives in New York with her husband, son and two cats.