40 Final ‘Jeopardy!’ Questions That All Three Contestants Got Wrong

The board during a taping of the 'Jeopardy!' Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational  Tournament.
The board during a taping of the 'Jeopardy!' Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational Tournament. / Amanda Edwards/GettyImages

Even Jeopardy! contestants with the highest earnings and the longest winning streaks sometimes swing and miss during Final Jeopardy!. But entering a wrong response doesn’t always end their tenure on the show—especially if all three players got it wrong.

In fact, so-called “triple stumpers” turn up in Final Jeopardy! more often than you might think. And thanks to the J! Archive—an expansive, fan-created database of Jeopardy! games past—anyone with internet access and a lot of spare time is welcome to go hunting for them. Here are 40 examples that occurred during recent seasons, which run the category gamut from “Medieval Asia” to “Broadway Musicals.”

1. February 15, 2018

Category: Medieval Asia
Clue: Though it means "one who serves," in medieval Japan, it was a property holder who received rent from serfs

Shawn Ralston: Who is shogun
Matt Stikker: What is a daimyo?
Rob Worman: Who is a geish

Correct Response: Samurai

2. February 22, 2018

Emmy awards on display.
Emmy awards on display. / Evan Agostini/GettyImages

Category: Actresses
Clue: Already an Emmy winner, in 2017 she won an Oscar for the same role that had won her a Tony

Alan Harrison: Who is my mom?
Catherine Biba: Who is ?
Rob Worman: Who is Boy this was fun! :-)

Correct Response: Viola Davis

3. February 23, 2018

Category: Modern Words
Clue: In 1994 WIRED magazine described this 4-letter word as an idea leaping "from mind to mind ... as viruses leap from body to body"

Mary Kalemkerian: What is I ♥ NY?
Kate Tucci: What is cool?
Alan Harrison: What is yike

Correct Response: Meme

4. May 1, 2018

Category: Fashion Brands
Clue: Translated from Roman numerals, "55" appears in luggage & watch product names from a company founded by this man

Geoff Brousseau: Who is Versace
Jan Brown: Who is Versace
Osman Syed: Who is Versace

Correct Response: Louis Vuitton

5. May 2, 2018

Category: 19th Century Americans
Clue: On July 10, 1804 he wrote a letter of goodbye, just in case, to "my dearest Theodosia"; he lived until 1836

Laura Buermann: Who is
Josh Hill: Who is Lewis?
Geoff Brousseau: Who is Lewis

Correct Response: Aaron Burr

More Articles About Jeopardy!:

manual

6. July 3, 2018

Category: The European Union
Clue: Like UNESCO, the EU has heritage sites; 2 of the first 4, a WWII internment camp & a Peace Palace, were in this occupied country

Dave Baltamanis: What is Austria
Jim McGinnis: What is Switzerland
Suzanne Koppelman: What is France?

Correct Response: The Netherlands

7. September 13, 2018

Ronald Reagan during his acting days.
Ronald Reagan during his acting days. / Herbert Dorfman/GettyImages

Category: Before They Were President
Clue: On October 4, 1940, for the premiere of what's been called his most famous movie role, Ronald Reagan was in this city

Lauren Stripling: What is Indianapolis?
Shawn Moore: What Iwo Jima?
Kyle Jones: What is Dallas?

Correct Response: South Bend, Indiana

8. October 1, 2018

Category: World Literature
Clue: In a recent poll of 125 authors, this long 1870s novel about a woman ranked as the greatest work of fiction of all time

Doug Dodson: What is The Scarlet Letter?
Carl Conway: What is Emma?
Andrew Knudsen: What is Jane Eyre?

Correct Response: Anna Karenina

9. October 2, 2018

'Hyphenate' doesn't refer to the correct answer's last name.
'Hyphenate' doesn't refer to the correct answer's last name. / Rodin Eckenroth/GettyImages

Category: Oscar Hyphenates
Clue: This actor has never been nominated for acting—he won, though, as a writer for 1997 & as a producer for 2012

Kirsten Morry: Who is Day-Lewis?
Cody Landis: Who is ?
Doug Dodson: Who is backrolls?

Correct Response: Ben Affleck

10. January 11, 2019

Category: Famous Doctors
Clue: Not an artist himself, he inspired the Surrealists but thought them "absolute cranks" until he met Dali in London in 1938

Jocelyn Martich: Who is Dr?
Sarah Ann: Who is [drawing of a "sad kitty"]?
Anneke Garcia: Who is Dr. Dali

Correct Response: Sigmund Freud

11. February 18, 2019

Shakespeare, but make it sci-fi.
Shakespeare, but make it sci-fi. / Print Collector/GettyImages

Category: British Authors
Clue: Born in 1866, he has been called "the Shakespeare of science fiction"

Doug Wilham: Who is Verne
Rachel Fabi: Who is Asimov?
Amanda Holm: Who is Clarke?

Correct Response: H.G. Wells

12. March 1, 2019

Category: Presidential Election Years
Clue: Prior to 2016 it was the last election year in which the winning candidate had never held public elected office

Austin Rogers: What is 1836?
Colby Burnett: What was 1956?
Buzzy Cohen: What is 1868? Love U Lucerne

Correct Response: 1952

13. July 26, 2019

Category: Historic Ships
Clue: 215 passengers were rescued when it sank in July 1918, about 500 fewer than it had rescued 6 years earlier

Michael Riggs: What is the Lusitania
Maggie Lehrman: What is the Doria Gay
Jason Zuffranieri: What is the Britannia

Correct Response: The Carpathia

14. November 1, 2019

Category: Religion
Clue: This denomination takes its name from the day, as told in the New Testament, when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles

Jennifer Cooper: What are the 7th Day Adventists
Christine McKeever: What is 7th-Day Adventist
Andrew Thomson: What is Seventh-Day Adventism?

Correct Response: Pentecostalism (the Pentecostalists)

15. November 26, 2019

Franklin Delano Roosevelt probably thinking about how good his speechwriters are.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt probably thinking about how good his speechwriters are. / Hulton Archive/GettyImages

Category: Political Phrases
Clue: Speechwriter Samuel Rosenman said FDR "attached no importance to" this phrase, "two monosyllables" in a 1932 speech

Ian Norris: What is OK?
Julie Chang: What is Fear Itself
Beth Stewart: What is itself

Correct Response: New Deal

16. December 24, 2019

Category: Historic American Cities
Clue: Damage from Hurricane Matthew in this city in 2016 revealed a plot of colonist graves from perhaps as long as 430 years ago

Drew Limon: What is Houston?
Barbara Hall: What is Richmond?
Robin Miner-Swartz: What is Tampa?

Correct Response: St. Augustine, Florida

17. February 10, 2020

They don't even tell you what sport.
They don't even tell you what sport. / AdShooter/iStock via Getty Images

Category: Sports Terms
Clue: A member of the British Amateur Athletic Club wrote this 1867 set of 12 regulations whose name honors nobleman John Sholto Douglas

Natalie Hadjiloukas: What are Douglas'
Vinny Byju: What are the rug
Gauravi Shah: What are the Doug Rules

Correct Response: The 12 rules of Queensbury

18. March 2, 2020

Category: From the Desk of the Pope
Clue: A 1919 letter quotes Jesus, "Go into the whole world and preach the gospel" & notes the vigilance, energy & hardships of these workers

Mandy DeLucia: What is Thank you?
Bruce Lou: What are soldiers??
Aaron Goetsch: What are disciples?

Correct Response: Missionaries

19. April 27, 2020

What a witty guy.
What a witty guy. / Alexander Gardner/GettyImages

Category: Civil War People
Clue: Before they were photographed together in 1862, Lincoln wryly noted this general "should have no problem" sitting still for it

Matt Ribel: Who is... She ?
Lauren D'Souza: Who is Sherman?
Sarah Jett Rayburn: Who is Grant?

Correct Response: George McClellan

20. September 22, 2020

Category: Diplomacy
Clue: The book "The Eagle & the Elephant" is about the relationship between the U.S. & this Asian country beginning in 1833

Reshima Wilkinson: What is Th
Tyler Brill: What is India?
Dana Hill: What is Korea

Correct Response: Thailand (Siam)

21. September 25, 2020

Category: Highest-Paid Athletes
Clue: On Forbes' 2020 list of the 100 highest-paid athletes, at age 50 this active individual sportsman is the oldest

Alyssa Weinberger: Who is Jagr?
Julissa Castillo: Who is Phil
Sameer Gandhi: Who is Mr. Magoo

Correct Response: Phil Mickelson

22. September 28, 2020

Category: On the Old Map
Clue: On the U.N. website's map of the world in 1945, these 2 initials of a member state appear 13 times on continental Africa

Eric Aiese: What is NL
Paula Spence: What is G.B.?
Sameer Gandhi: What is C.W.

Correct Response: U.K.

23. October 7, 2020

Pull out your pocket Bible.
Pull out your pocket Bible. / duckycards/iStock via Getty Images

Category: Who Said It in the Bible?
Clue: He tells his son not to worry about the lamb for the burnt offering—God will provide it

Holly McQuillan: Who is This was so much fun! Thank you
Sheldon Beverly: Who is Jacob?
Garrett Marcotte: Who is Job?

Correct Response: Abraham

24. December 17, 2020

Category: Play Characters
Clue: This title character says, "Who find my visage's center ornament a thing to jest at—it is my wont... to let him taste my steel"

Teja Chemudupati: Who is Laertes?
Pamela Lee: Who is Zorro?
Brayden Smith: Who is the Man of La Mancha?

Correct Response: Cyrano de Bergerac

25. January 29, 2021

Category: British Army History
Clue: The Army's longest continuous campaign, 1969-2007, began in this Northern Ireland city known by either of 2 different names

Bo Mendez: What is Belfast?
Kristen Seigel: What is Belfast?
Zach Newkirk: What is Belfast?

Correct Response: Londonderry/Derry

26. March 3, 2021

Category: European Landmarks
Clue: Of the principal architects working on it from the mid-1500s to the 1980s, like Pierre Lescot & Hector Lefuel, none were foreigners

Tim Everhart: What is the sacre couer
Melis Sahin-Collins: What is Arc de Triomphe Hi Aydin
Jon Spurney: What is Notre Dame

Correct Response: The Louvre

27. March 31, 2021

Category: Logos
Clue: After 9/11, designer Milton Glaser modified this iconic logo of his, adding a bruise & the words "More Than Ever"

Kevin Tanager: What is [symbol is drawn] the Peace Symbol?
Emily Seaman: What is Fed Ex
Bryce Hwang: What is Johnson and Johnson?

Correct Response: I Heart New York (I Love New York)

28. April 20, 2021

Walt Disney in 1951.
Walt Disney in 1951. / Hulton Deutsch/GettyImages

Category: European Tourist Attractions
Clue: Opened in 1843, it was frequented by Hans Christian Andersen & Walt Disney, who both found inspiration there

Logan Crossley: What is Copenhagen Aquari
Nina Patel: What is the Briti
Mike Nelson: What is Nausvenstein Castle?

Correct Response: Tivoli (Gardens)

29. June 14, 2021

Category: 19th Century America
Clue: 2-word term for the statement saying U.S. policy is "to leave the parties to themselves, in the hope ... other powers will (do) the same"

Caitlin Hackett: What is Laissez Faire
Jonathan Udoff: What is hands off?
Katie Sekelsky: What is Global isolationism

Correct Response: Monroe Doctrine

30. July 1, 2021

Category: Rivers
Clue: In "Notes on the State of Virginia," Thomas Jefferson said the most beautiful river on Earth is this one no longer in Virginia

Leanne Zobrist: What is the Manongahela?
Marciano Lopez: What is the Potomac?
Courtney Shah: What is the Shenandoah?

Correct Response: The Ohio River

31. July 23, 2021

Category: Literary Character
Clue: This owner of a large estate in Derbyshire is described as "proud" at least half a dozen times

Rachel Vanarsdall: Who is Mr. Bennett?
John Roberson: Who is Prudence
Matt Amodio: Who is Rochester?

Correct Response: (Mr. Fitzwilliam) Darcy

32. December 31, 2021

Category: Music Legends
Clue: Of their July 1957 first meeting at a church fair, one of this pair recalled: "I was a fat schoolboy and … he was drunk"

Arjun Sivakumar: Who are Simon & Garfunkel?
Dan Patton: Who are Simon + Garfunkel?
Amy Schneider: Who are Simon and Garfunkel?

Correct Response: John Lennon and Paul McCartney

33. January 11, 2022

Category: Broadway Musicals
Clue: Each in a show that ran more than 2 years, Ethel Merman & Sarah Jessica Parker played 2 different characters with this first name

Brigid Hogan: What is Mary?
Steve Chanderbhan: What is Melissa
Amy Schneider: What is Rose?

Correct Response: Annie

34. January 14, 2022

Category: Cemeteries & Memorials
Clue: 60,000 are at rest in a National Memorial Cemetery opened in 1949 in the crater of an extinct volcano in this state

Rachel Ostrow: What is Oregon?
Luis Soto: What is Wyoming?
Amy Schneider: What is California?

Correct Response: Hawaii

35. February 14, 2022

Category: The Midwest
Clue: At about 90,000 it's the most populous U.S. city on North America's biggest lake

Hung Pham: What is Green Bay?
Carrie Christian: What is Minneapolis?
Dave Rapp: What is Green Bay?

Correct Response: Duluth, Minnesota

36. February 22, 2022

Category: American Women
Clue: In 1914 she received a patent on a trefoil emblem, which she would transfer to an organization a few years later

Holly Ambler: Who is Julia Howe
Hieu Ton-That: Who is Baker?
Henry Rozycki: Who is Margaret Sanger?

Correct Response: Juliette Gordon Low

37. March 4, 2022

Category: Literary Characters
Clue: Dostoyevsky wrote that this title man in an earlier European novel is "beautiful only because he is ridiculous"

Adrian Alcalá: Who is prince mishkin
Caitlin McHale: Who is Dorian Gray?
Margaret Shelton: Who is Candide?

Correct Response: Don Quixote

38. June 7, 2022

Category: Writing Old & New
Clue: This 2013 bestseller shares its title with the first section of a poem from 7 centuries before

Elaine Hesser: What is the Handmaids Tale
Michael Toughill: What is Twilight: New Moon?
Eric Ahasic: What The Handmaid's Tale?

Correct Response: Inferno (by Dan Brown)

39. June 23, 2022

Category: Classic Albums
Clue: This classic album by a Southern rocker gets its title from a Civil War quote by a Union admiral

Andrew Lewis: What is Let it Burn
Whitney Wood: What is?
Jeff Weinstock: What is the whites of their eyes?

Correct Response: Damn the Torpedoes (by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)

40. June 30, 2022

Category: U.S. Cities
Clue: This U.S. city now has 10 times the population of the other U.S. city for which it was named in 1845

Hoa Quach: What is San Francisco
David Bzdak: What is New York?
Halley Ryherd: What is New Yor

Correct Response: Portland, Oregon