Who won Jeopardy! tonight? May 29, 2025, Thursday

The 41st season of Jeopardy! had another exciting episode on Thursday, May 29, 2025, when a new champion was announced. Geoff Barnes, a Washington, D.C.-based analyst, won his first game at the end of the night.

Barnes beat both the defending champion and the second newcomer in a close match that showed skill, strategy, and smart betting. His performance was appreciable, and his confident Final Jeopardy answer confirmed the win.

The right answer to the Final Jeopardy question, This two-word phrase first appeared in an 1845 article called Annexation, suggesting that it was inevitable, was "What is Manifest Destiny?" Geoff Barnes won the final prize of $24,000 after giving the right answer.

As the defending champion, Thomas Sweeney bet all of his winnings and unfortunately, ended up with nothing. Anne LaGatta did well, but she missed the last question and won only one dollar.

From the 1960s to now, Jeopardy! has been a mainstay of American TV. The show has stayed popular for decades thanks to its unique answer-and-question format. The show's format, which rewards broad knowledge and quick reflexes, continues to attract a wide range of contestants and regular viewers. The final round is still the best for both players and fans because of its numerous exciting moments and surprising turns of events.

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Jeopardy! episode Highlights: May 29, 2025, Thursday

Jeopardy round

The Jeopardy round kicked off with all three players diving into categories like Mortal Matters, Fruit, Ghosting, and The Great Squall of China. Returning champion Thomas Sweeney was quick to the buzzer and scored a few early clues. Geoff Barnes found his rhythm mid-round, demonstrating quick knowledge on diverse topics.

Standout moments included Geoff correctly identifying a seismograph, kiwi fruit, and Gothic architecture. Thomas showed strength in literature and history. Anne LaGatta maintained steady gameplay with correct responses about biblical figures and classic films.

Scores at the end of Jeopardy! round:

• Geoff Barnes: $9,800
• Anne LaGatta: $4,200
• Thomas Sweeney: $4,800

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Double Jeopardy round

In the Double Jeopardy round, categories included Religious Structures, Blended Words, Celebrity Women, and Here Comes AI. Geoff Barnes dominated this segment. He uncovered a Daily Double under Religious Structures and wagered $3,000. With a correct response on “active ingredient,” he soared ahead.

Thomas Sweeney also found a Daily Double and made a True Daily Double bet, correctly answering a history-based clue about the Thirty Years' War, doubling his score. Anne LaGatta kept close behind, nailing several $2,000 clues and successfully navigating Celebrity Women.

Scores at the end of Double Jeopardy round:

• Geoff Barnes: $23,000
• Anne LaGatta: $9,600
• Thomas Sweeney: $4,800

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Final Jeopardy round

The Final Jeopardy round on May 29, 2025, featured the category Phrase Origins.

He wagered $1,000, bringing his total to $24,000 and securing the win. Anne LaGatta guessed “What is a lost cause?”—a reasonable but incorrect answer—and left herself with $1 after wagering $9,599.

Thomas Sweeney, in third place, chose to wager everything but didn’t submit a valid answer, instead giving a shout-out to his quiz bowl team. His bet brought his total to $0. Geoff’s accuracy and restraint led him to become the new Jeopardy! champion.

The Final Jeopardy category was Phrase Origins.

The clue was: “An 1845 article called Annexation was the first appearance of this two-word phrase implying inevitability.”

Only Geoff Barnes responded correctly with “What is Manifest Destiny?”

Thomas Sweeney wrote a shoutout to his teammates and wagered all his money, ending with $0. Anne answered, What is a lost cause? and left $1 on the board.

Final scores:

• Geoff Barnes: $24,000 (Winner)
• Anne LaGatta: $1
• Thomas Sweeney: $0

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Contestants of tonight’s Jeopardy!

Geoff Barnes – Analyst from Washington, D.C.

The winner on the May 29, 2025, episode of Jeopardy! was Geoff Barnes, who played with a relaxed mind and strategy. Geoff is an analyst from Washington, D.C., and he displayed his good reasoning skills and extensive knowledge during the game. He did great on Double Jeopardy, getting all the answers right for the hard clues and winning both Daily Double and Final Jeopardy.

Geoff had a great wagering strategy when he played it safe with a $1,000 bet in the final round, which earned him a win of $24,000. Geoff also showed us his fun side during his interview by talking about how much he loves baking and having fake bake-offs with his friends.

With his smooth gameplay and his ability to keep a cool head, Geoff is ready to keep getting better in the next episodes after this victory.

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Anne LaGatta – College Professor from Moorestown, New Jersey

Anne LaGatta, a college professor, originally from Moorestown, New Jersey, did well in her first episode of Jeopardy!. She was solid and strategic. She made some progress in the first round of Jeopardy, but she really took off in Double Jeopardy, answering several $2,000 clues correctly and showing a lot of knowledge in categories like Celebrity Women.

Anne almost passed Geoff, but she messed up in the final round of Jeopardy and bet everything but $1. Her smarts were clear from the way she answered questions with confidence and dealt with tough subjects.

Anne told a strange story during her interview: she won 537 books in a raffle one time. Both the host and the viewers admired how calm and precise she was while playing. Even though Anne didn't win, the way she played shows that she could do well in a future game or special tournament.

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Thomas Sweeney – Survey Technician from Morrow, Ohio

Thomas Sweeney, a survey technician from Morrow, Ohio, came back as the current Jeopardy! champion because he did great in the last episode.

At the beginning of Thursday's game, he answered questions about literature, history, and pop culture confidently. In Double Jeopardy, he made a risky True Daily Double bet and got the answer right about a tough clue about the Thirty Years' War.

But as Geoff sped ahead, his speed slowed down. Thomas bet everything on Final Jeopardy, but instead of writing an answer, he wrote a tribute to his quiz bowl team called "Shout out to the survey boys."

This sweet action showed that he was a good sport and cared about the team. Thomas was a memorable contestant because of his previous success and good attitude. Even though he lost all of his money, his competitive spirit and coaching experience were clear the whole time.

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How Is Jeopardy! different from other game shows?

The unique format of Jeopardy! makes it so popular among viewers. The contestants are given answers, and they have to give a question-based answer.

Jeopardy! is different from shows that depend on luck or physical challenges because it requires general knowledge, memory recall, and quick thinking. With three rounds—Jeopardy, Double Jeopardy, and Final Jeopardy—the game can be played in different ways.

It gets more challenging when you have to bet strategically in Daily Doubles and the final round. In contrast to timed or elimination formats, all players stay in the game until the very end, which ensures that there is always competition. Allowing viewers to participate from home during the Final Jeopardy round keeps them more interested.

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Game statistics from Tonight’s Jeopardy! episode

Jeopardy round:

• Geoff Barnes: $9,800
• Anne LaGatta: $4,200
• Thomas Sweeney: $4,800

Double Jeopardy Round:

• Geoff Barnes: $23,000
• Anne LaGatta: $9,600
• Thomas Sweeney: $4,800

Final scores:

• Geoff Barnes: $24,000 (Winner)
• Anne LaGatta: $1
• Thomas Sweeney: $0

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On the May 29, 2025, episode of Jeopardy!, Geoff Barnes became the new champion. Geoff played a complete game, from a tough beginning to a smart ending bet. It was tough to beat Anne LaGatta, and Thomas Sweeney did his best as the defending champion. The episode kept up the tradition of tough competition and intellectual gameplay on Jeopardy.

With new contestants and the same intense competition, Jeopardy! put on another fun night of strategy and trivia. Fans are now looking forward to Geoff's next game and seeing what new surprises season 41 has in store.