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On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, a new episode of Jeopardy! aired, featuring three interesting contestants vying for the win. Dan Hopkins, a teacher from Hanover, New Hampshire, won the night with a total score of $10,799. He was the show's star. Sarah Cox, the defending champion, was kicked off after just one win, and Stefany Meyer put in a strong performance but couldn't catch Dan.
Dan Hopkins won Jeopardy! by using Daily Doubles in a smart way during Double Jeopardy and going into the Final Jeopardy round with a big lead. Even though all three contestants got the last clue wrong, Dan's smart bet still won him the game. He passed Sarah Cox, who had $15,050 from her last game, and Stefany Meyer, who came in second place in this episode.
Unlike most Q&A shows, Jeopardy! is an American quiz show that has been around for a long time. The contestants are given answers and have to choose the right question to answer. With its unique structure and intellectual depth, the show, which is now in its 41st season, is still a fan favorite.
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Jeopardy! episode highlights – June 17, 2025, Tuesday
The June 17 episode began with Sarah Cox returning as a one-day champion. The categories for the game’s first round were Flash Mob Logbook, World History, 2-Word Responses, In the Junk Drawer, “CON”s, and Stephen King.
Jeopardy round
The Jeopardy round started strong, with returning champion Sarah Cox taking early control. She correctly answered several clues across categories like Stephen King, World History, and Flash Mob Logbook, building quick momentum. She uncovered the first Daily Double under 2-Word Responses, correctly identifying “folic acid” as another name for vitamin B9, and added $1,000 to her score.
Stefany Meyer played cautiously but steadily, while Dan Hopkins had a slower start, working his way up the board gradually. The break saw Sarah leading, but all three contestants remained in play. It was a balanced round, though Sarah clearly outpaced the others in buzz-in speed and category familiarity. Dan’s performance picked up in the latter half, setting the stage for his comeback in Double Jeopardy.
Scores after the first round of Jeopardy:
- Sarah Cox: $7,600
- Dan Hopkins: $3,400
- Stefany Meyer: $1,400
Double Jeopardy round
The Double Jeopardy round shifted the momentum entirely. Dan Hopkins gained control early and never let go. He found the first Daily Double in Old to the OED, correctly identifying “diatribe” and adding $2,000 to his score, overtaking Sarah.
Dan later found a second Daily Double in You Can't a Fjord. It is with the clue about the Ilulissat Icefjord. He correctly answered "Titanic iceberg," which gave him a $3,000 lead.
Sarah and Stefany tried to keep up, but Dan's aggressive and accurate play was too much for them. By the end of the round, Stefany had made some progress and doubled her score from the Jeopardy round. Sarah found it hard to keep up with the other players, so she started Final Jeopardy in third place. Dan won the game because of his smart DD plays.
Double Jeopardy round scores:
- Dan Hopkins: $16,000
- Stefany Meyer: $10,600
- Sarah Cox: $8,000
Final Jeopardy round
The Final Jeopardy category was The 1960s, and the clue referenced the 1963 Birmingham church bombing. It asked which political figure MLK blamed for the tragedy, with the correct response being “Who is George Wallace?” Unfortunately, all three contestants answered incorrectly.
Even though Dan Hopkins missed three times, his strong performance on Double Jeopardy gave him enough of a cushion. He bet $5,201, which dropped his score but kept him ahead. Stefany bet $2,000, which was a smart move that helped her come in second.
Final Scores:
- Dan Hopkins: $10,799
- Stefany Meyer: $8,600
- Sarah Cox: $1,000
Contestants from tonight's episode
Dan Hopkins
Dan Hopkins, a teacher from Hanover, New Hampshire, came to Jeopardy! with a lot of academic proof and calm precision. Dan used logic and timing to his advantage. He has degrees in math and machine learning from Dartmouth and Aalto Universities.
During the Jeopardy round, he stayed behind Sarah Cox but didn't give up. He got better at Double Jeopardy when he found and answered two Daily Doubles.
As a data scientist, Dan was able to evaluate risks well, which paid off in the Final Jeopardy round. Even though he got the last clue wrong, his smart bet made sure he would win, giving him a final score of $10,799.
Sarah Cox
Sarah Cox, an Austin, Texas, chief of staff, came back as the one-day Jeopardy! champion, having won $15,050 in previous games. She started off strong and ruled the Jeopardy round by giving correct answers in categories like World History and Stephen King. For the early lead, she got the first Daily Double and made the most of it by giving the right answer.
However, her progress slowed down in Double Jeopardy when Dan Hopkins took over the board. Sarah did well, but she wasn't aggressive enough to beat Dan's Daily Double strategy. When she played Final Jeopardy, she risked $7,000, but she got it wrong, and her score dropped to $1,000.
Sarah's run for the championship ended, but she showed a lot of knowledge, calmness, and competitive spirit in both episodes, making her a tough competitor.
Stefany Meyer
Stefany Meyer, a data analyst from Burke, Virginia, played her first game of Jeopardy! with calm concentration and steady progress. Stefany did twice as well in Double Jeopardy, where she finished with $10,600, compared to $1,400 in the first round of Jeopardy.
She didn't find a Daily Double, but her ability to find clues about many different topics helped her move up the leaderboard. That was more important to her than taking risks in her game.
Stefany chose a safe bet of $2,000 on Final Jeopardy. She also missed the last clue, but the small bet helped her finish in second place with $8,600. Stefany's performance showed that she had prepared well and knew how to play the game well.
How does Jeopardy! stand apart from regular game shows?
Jeopardy! doesn't follow the usual rules for a quiz show. The contestants have to answer in the form of a question because the show doesn't ask questions. Merv Griffin made this reversal in 1964, and it has become a symbol of it.
There are three structured rounds of the game: Jeopardy, Double Jeopardy, and Final Jeopardy. Each round gets harder and the stakes higher. The clue boards test that the contestant knows a lot of different things, from current events to science to old history.
Jeopardy! is different as the answers are to be written as questions. The contestants also have to show how they would bet on Daily Doubles and Final Jeopardy.
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Game overview from tonight’s Jeopardy! episode
Episode: June 17, 2025 – Tuesday
Scores after Jeopardy Round:
- Sarah Cox: $7,600
- Dan Hopkins: $3,400
- Stefany Meyer: $1,400
Daily Double (Jeopardy Round)
- Category: 2-Word Responses
- Clue: Pregnant ladies know this other term for vitamin B9
- Answer: Folic Acid
- Wager: $1,000 by Sarah
Scores after Double Jeopardy Round:
- Dan Hopkins: $16,000
- Stefany Meyer: $10,600
- Sarah Cox: $8,000
Daily Double 2 (DJ Round)
- Category: Old to the OED
- Clue: This “d” word once meant a dissertation; now it means an angry rant
- Answer: Diatribe
- Wager: $2,000 by Dan
Daily Double 3 (DJ Round)
- Category: You Can’t a Fjord It
- Clue: Ilulissat Icefjord in Greenland is believed to be the origin of this 1912 tragedy
- Answer: Titanic’s iceberg
- Wager: $3,000 by Dan
Final Jeopardy!
- Category: The 1960s
- Clue: Following the Baptist Church bombing in 1963, MLK telegrammed him that the blood of 4 girls “is on your hands.”
- Correct Answer: Who is George Wallace?
- All contestants answered incorrectly
Final Scores:
- Dan Hopkins: $10,799 (Winner)
- Stefany Meyer: $8,600
- Sarah Cox: $1,000
With a score of $10,798, Dan Hopkins won the episode of Jeopardy! that aired on June 17, 2025. He won Double Jeopardy because he knew how to take advantage of key moments. The Final Jeopardy clue wasn't answered correctly by any of the contestants, but Dan's smart betting helped him win.
Also read: Who won Jeopardy! tonight? June 13, 2025, Friday
Sarah Cox's run as a returning champion came to an end, and Stefany Meyer did a great job to finish in second place.
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Edited by Riya Peter
English (US)