Who won Jeopardy! tonight? July 14, 2025, Monday

The highly anticipated Jeopardy! episode for Monday, July 14, 2025, has concluded, and the winner is Scott Riccardi. The mechanical engineer Scott from Somerville, New Jersey, won for the eighth day in a row, an impressive streak.

Entering the episode as a champion, ready to defend himself against strong opponents, Scott faced strong challengers but maintained his composure and strategic gameplay to stay on top of the leaderboard.

Scott went up against Amanda Hopkins, an analytics manager from New Jersey, and Paul Swain, a tutor from Washington, in tonight's final, highly competitive match. Even though Scott made a few errors in Final Jeopardy, his substantial lead from the earlier rounds was more than enough to get him the win.

The way he played strategically, especially in the Double Jeopardy round, made it almost certain that he would win.

Jeopardy! has remained a fan favorite for decades thanks to its challenging clues, fast-paced format, and intense competition. The unique setup of the game—with Daily Doubles and high-stakes Final Jeopardy wagers—keeps the stakes high and the tension high.

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Jeopardy! Episode highlights - July 14, 2025, Monday

Jeopardy Round

The Jeopardy round of the July 14, 2025, episode was filled with exciting moments as Scott Riccardi took an early lead. The round included categories such as The Previous World Leader, Words of Weather, A Sticky Situation, Medical Dough, and Ray, Me.

Scott wasted no time making his presence known, correctly answering the Daily Double clue in the Words of Weather category, doubling his $2,400 to $4,800.

By the end of the Jeopardy round, Scott was comfortably in the lead with $9,000. Amanda Hopkins and Paul Swain, though competitive, were trailing behind with $3,000 and $2,200, respectively.

As the round progressed, Scott's deep knowledge and calm demeanor allowed him to steadily build his lead, leaving his opponents with limited opportunities to catch up. By the time the round closed, Scott’s performance set him up for a dominant run in the following round.

• Scott Riccardi: $9,000
• Amanda Hopkins: $3,000
• Paul Swain: $2,200

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Double Jeopardy Round

The Double Jeopardy round proved to be the defining moment of the game. Scott Riccardi continued his dominance, securing a third Daily Double in the World’s Fair Host City category. He wagered $4,000 and correctly answered, bringing his total to an impressive $22,200.

However, Paul Swain faced a major setback when he found his Daily Double in the Fizzy Drinks category and wagered all $3,800. Unfortunately, he answered incorrectly, dropping his score to zero.

Even so, Paul stayed focused and competitive. Amanda Hopkins had a tough round and ended up with a negative score of -$200, which meant she couldn't play in Final Jeopardy. Scott was in a strong position and could coast to the end of the round with a big lead. By the end of Double Jeopardy, it was clear that he would only need to do a little work in Final Jeopardy to win.

• Scott Riccardi: $34,200
• Paul Swain: $3,600
• Amanda Hopkins: -$200

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Final Jeopardy Round

In the Final Jeopardy round, Scott Riccardi faced an Oscar-related clue under the category Awards. The clue asked:

"In the 50-year history of Saturday Night Live, he’s the only cast member to have won an Oscar—and it wasn’t for a comedy."

Scott, though having a commanding lead, couldn’t recall the correct response, and his wager of $15,800 was lost. Despite this, his earlier performance ensured that he would still win with $18,400.

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Contestant Profiles

Scott Riccardi

Scott Riccardi, a mechanical engineer, had already established himself as a formidable Jeopardy! competitor, entering the episode with a seven-day winning streak and a total of $182,901. He comes from Somerville, New Jersey, and has a background in engineering systems, renewable projects, and product design.

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Amanda Hopkins

Amanda Hopkins, a marketing professional from Palmyra, New Jersey, brought a wealth of analytical thinking and strategy to the Jeopardy! board. She holds an MBA and is currently an integrated marketing manager at LabCorp.

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Paul Swain

Paul Swain, a tutor from Vancouver, Washington, had a playful, yet competitive approach to Jeopardy!. Known for his love of games and puzzles, he faced a tough challenge tonight. His deep knowledge and calm demeanor were evident, but an unfortunate gamble in the Double Jeopardy round caused him to lose all of his winnings.

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How is Jeopardy! different from regular game shows?

Jeopardy! has a unique format that makes it so distinguished from other game shows. One of the defining features of Jeopardy! is that the contestants have to answer each clue with a question.

The game also has Daily Doubles and a round of Final Jeopardy where players can bet some of their winnings before seeing the last clue. This makes the game more strategic and dangerous.

While many other game shows depend on how well the contestants can answer trivia questions. Jeopardy!, on the other hand, tests them on a wide range of topics and categories.

Each player has a short amount of time to choose their next clue because the game moves quickly. This tests both their knowledge and their ability to think quickly when time is short.

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Game statistics from Tonight’s Jeopardy! episode

Jeopardy Round:

• Daily Double 1: Scott Riccardi wagered $2,400 and answered correctly in the Words of Weather category.

Scores after Jeopardy Round:

• Scott Riccardi: $9,000
• Amanda Hopkins: $3,000
• Paul Swain: $2,200

Double Jeopardy Round:

• Daily Double 2: Paul Swain wagered all of his $3,800 on a missed clue in the Fizzy Drinks category, bringing his score to $0.
• Daily Double 3: Scott Riccardi wagered $4,000 and answered correctly in the World's Fair Host City category.

Scores after Double Jeopardy Round:

• Scott Riccardi: $34,200
• Paul Swain: $3,600
• Amanda Hopkins: -$200

Final Jeopardy round:

• Category: Awards
• Final Jeopardy Clue: "In the 50-year history of Saturday Night Live, he’s the only cast member to have won an Oscar—and it wasn’t for a comedy."
• Correct Answer: Robert Downey Jr.

Scores after Final Jeopardy:

• Scott Riccardi: $18,400
• Paul Swain: $0
• Amanda Hopkins: -$200

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Scott Riccardi remains the champion after winning Jeopardy! for the eighth time in a row on July 14, 2025. Even though it was close and the Final Jeopardy question was hard, Scott secured a clear victory thanks to his strong performance in the earlier rounds and consistent gameplay.

It's evident that Scott is one of the toughest contestants Jeopardy! has seen in recent years. He has already won $201,301.

Edited by Sriparna Barui