Warning: This page contains spoilers for the November 17, 2025, game of Jeopardy! — please do not scroll down if you wish to avoid being spoiled. Please note that the game airs as early as noon Eastern in some U.S. television markets.
Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category Poetic Objects) for Monday, November 17, 2025 (Season 42, Game 51):
In a British poem, this is “raddled with Napoleon’s paint. Nose eaten by a less clear conqueror”
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Rachel Bernstein, a teacher from Los Angeles, California
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Lawrence Suba, a technical software trainer from Verona, Wisconsin
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Harrison Whitaker, a researcher originally from Terre Haute, Indiana (4-day total: $116,600)
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Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
Harrison Whitaker, last Friday, became the second consecutive 4-time champion we’ve had on Jeopardy! and the 477th player to win 4 times. Today, he looks to become the 291st 5-time champion. On this Monday trying to end Harrison’s streak at 4 games are your challengers, Rachel Bernstein of Los Angeles and Lawrence Suba of Wisconsin.
It’s also the first day in the qualification period for the 2027 Tournament of Champions; I’m personally expecting the end of the qualification period to return to its early December spot next season, with this year’s postseason having been pushed forward slightly due to the risk of Olympic pre-emptions in February. As 2027 is not an Olympic year, there is no risk of Olympic pre-emptions like there will be in a couple of months.
(Content continues below)
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Correct response: What is the Sphinx?
More information about Final Jeopardy:
(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2025 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)
“Four Legs, Two Legs, Three Legs”, part of William Empson’s 1940 poetry collection The Gathering Storm, is a poem about the Sphinx and its famous riddle: “What has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs at night?” (The answer, famously, being “man”: crawling in infancy, walking in adulthood, and using a cane for support when elderly.) In it, the Sphinx itself is described as “The wrecked girl, still raddled with Napoleon’s paint. Nose eaten by a less clear conqueror. Still orientated to the average dawn.” Why does the Sphinx have no nose in the first place? The Smithsonian believes that this was the work of one Muhammad Sa’im al-Dahr, upset at the Egyptian idolatry towards the massive limestone creature—peasants would make offerings to the Sphinx in hope of controlling the annual Nile flood. The Sufi dervish al-Dahr decided it necessary to deface the statue by chiselling off its nose.
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Game Recap & Tonight’s Game Stats:
Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Monday, November 17, 2025 Jeopardy! by the numbers, along with a recap:
Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: Never Have I Ever; Second Novels; No Time To Say The Whole Word; Their Main Instrument; That’s Bull!; Happy 250th Anniversary, USPS)
Harrison got off to a hot start this week, picking up 10 of the 15 clues to lead at the first break. After 15 clues, the scores were Harrison $7,400 Lawrence $1,600 Rachel -$200.
Statistics at the first break (15 clues):
Harrison 10 correct 0 incorrect
Lawrence 2 correct 0 incorrect
Rachel 1 correct 1 incorrect
Today’s interviews:
Rachel teaches English & drama.
Lawrence was briefly a “pro wrestler”.
Harrison enjoys dancing to soul music.
Although Rachel found the Daily Double, Harrison still continued his strong play, holding a very large lead after 30 clues.
Statistics after the Jeopardy round:
Harrison 18 correct 0 incorrect
Rachel 7 correct 2 incorrect
Lawrence 3 correct 0 incorrect
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Harrison $11,200
Rachel $2,200
Lawrence $1,800
Double Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: Weirdly Named Conflicts; 4-Syllable Words; This Is Not A Safe Space; Movie Monologues; The South Pacific; Tenacious, Thee)
Harrison found both Daily Doubles, picking up $6,000 from them as he cruised to a dominant runaway.
Statistics after Double Jeopardy:
Harrison 34 correct 0 incorrect
Rachel 18 correct 2 incorrect
Lawrence 3 correct 1 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 6 (0 today).
Scores going into Final:
Harrison $35,200
Rachel $13,000
Lawrence $600
This one went 3-for-3 as Harrison picked up the biggest payday yet in Season 42. He’ll go for win #6 tomorrow!
Tonight’s results:
Lawrence $600 + $500 = $1,100 (What the Sphinx?)
Rachel $13,000 + $11,799 = $24,799 (What is the Sphinx?)
Harrison $35,200 + $9,199 = $44,399 (What is the Sphinx?) (5-day total: $160,999)
Other Miscellaneous Game Statistics:
Daily Double locations:
1) THAT’S BULL! $1000 (clue #19)
Rachel 200 +1000 (Harrison 8800 Lawrence 1600)
2) WEIRDLY NAMED CONFLICTS $1600 (clue #4)
Harrison 15200 +4800 (Lawrence 1800 Rachel 2200)
3) THE SOUTH PACIFIC $2000 (clue #16, $10800 left on board)
Harrison 28800 +1200 (Lawrence 1800 Rachel 9000)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: 136
Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:
J! Round:
Harrison 4 5 3 4 5 3 4 5 3 4 5 3 3 4 2
Lawrence 3 2
Rachel 4 5*
DJ! Round:
Harrison 4 3 4* 5† 5 3 3 2 5 5*
Lawrence 3
Rachel 4 4 4 5 4
† – selection in same category as Daily Double
Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:
Harrison 3.84
Rachel 4.29
Lawrence 2.67
Unplayed clues:
J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 6 (0.12 per episode average), 0 Daily Doubles
Game Stats:
Harrison $32,800 Coryat, 34 correct, 0 incorrect, 52.63% in first on buzzer (30/57), 2/2 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
Rachel $13,000 Coryat, 18 correct, 2 incorrect, 31.58% in first on buzzer (18/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 1 rebound opportunity)
Lawrence $600 Coryat, 3 correct, 1 incorrect, 7.02% in first on buzzer (4/57), 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $46,400
Lach Trash: $5,200 (on 5 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $2,400
Lead Changes: 0
Times Tied: 0
Player Statistics:
Harrison Whitaker, career statistics:
152 correct, 11 incorrect
7/8 on rebound attempts (on 18 rebound opportunities)
48.07% in first on buzzer (137/285)
7/13 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $7,200)
5/5 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $26,760
Lawrence Suba, career statistics:
4 correct, 1 incorrect
0/0 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
7.02% in first on buzzer (4/57)
0/0 on Daily Doubles
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $600
Rachel Bernstein, career statistics:
19 correct, 2 incorrect
1/1 on rebound attempts (on 1 rebound opportunity)
31.58% in first on buzzer (18/57)
1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $1,000)
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $13,000
Harrison Whitaker, to win:
6 games: 73.812%
7: 54.482%
8: 40.214%
9: 29.683%
10: 21.910%
Avg. streak: 7.819 games.
Andy’s Thoughts:
- Today’s double runaway means wagering suggestions will not be posted.
- The most recent player to win as much in 5 games as Harrison has? Troy Meyer in 2023.
- Today’s J!6 clues can be found at the monthly archive.
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Thinking of something with a missing nose, The Sphynx was my only guess – but it took me a few seconds.
Exactly the same situation for me, though at first I did not feel overly confident as there are many damaged ancient Greek and Roman statues, but I felt that Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt pointed in that direction.
Lucky guess for me as a visual of the sphinx came into my mind.
Maybe just me, but I wouldn’t trust my math well enough under the bright lights to just keep Rachel locked out by one dollar if incorrect, and she bets it all correctly. Though, at the same time, if I was her, I’d bet it all hoping that he screwed up his math and got it wrong.
The missing nose is a tell tale sign but Empson’s poetic description of the Sphinx are familiar enough as to leave no doubt as to the correct response. Reading the clue, I expected a Triple Get as was achieved.
Harrison also made me correct in my prognostication that he would become a 5-time champ and that we would see him in the ToC for 2027. Great job, Harrison, and I don’t envy any of the challengers going up against you. Looking forward to continue seeing you play.