Who won Jeopardy! tonight? October 16, 2025, Thursday

Jeopardy! fans eagerly tuned in on Thursday, October 16, 2025, to watch another episode unfold. Contestants faced off in the daily trivia battle, testing their knowledge across a wide array of topics. 

Correct Final Jeopardy! answer: "Who is William Howard Taft?" In the 1912 U.S. presidential election, incumbent William Howard Taft finished third with eight electoral votes. Cindy del Rosario answered correctly and won the title.

For decades, Jeopardy! has retained contestants and viewers with its subtle format and difficult trivia questions. Tonight's episode also brought a new champion ready to defend their title.

Glimpses of Jeopardy episode October 16, 2025, Thursday

All three contestants started the episode well. Delaney O'Dea, 18, of Brown University was defending her title against Denver hospice nurse Cindy del Rosario and Durham tutor Dave Keder. The first round was fiercely competitive, with players competing in That Guy’s The Worst and Internet Celebrities.

Jeopardy round

The Jeopardy! round covered pop culture and history. Dave Keder scored early with the Daily Double and showed his knowledge. Dave led with $4,800 at the first break, followed by Cindy at $2,800 and Delaney at $2,600. Dave led at $6,000, Cindy at $5,400, and Delaney at $4,400 after the full round.

Double Jeopardy round

The stakes increased in Double Jeopardy! with higher-value questions and harder categories. Dave missed a crucial Daily Double (DD2), dropping him to second place behind Delaney, who briefly led. Cindy's correct answer to DD3 was the turning point. Cindy led Final Jeopardy!, but she could have bet more to run away with it. The round ended with these scores:

• Cindy: $16,600
• Delaney: $11,600
• Dave: $6,700

The Double Jeopardy! round was critical, as it set up a dramatic showdown in the Final Jeopardy! category, where Cindy would eventually triumph.

Final Jeopardy round

In the Final Jeopardy! round, the category was U.S. Presidential Elections. 

The clue was: "The worst showing by an incumbent candidate in an election was when this man came in third with just 8 electoral votes." 

Cindy was the only player to answer correctly, responding with 

"Who is William Howard Taft?"

Cindy was the only one who correctly identified the answer and became champion with $23,201 with her accurate response and well-timed betting strategy, despite Delaney and Dave's performances. Delaney and Dave bet heavily to catch up but lost.

An Overview of Jeopardy! Game October 16, 2025

Jeopardy! Round:

Categories: That Guy’s The Worst; Around The Bathroom; Missing Links; Bible Bites; They Call Him Boss; Internet Celebrities

At the break, the scores were:

• Dave: $4,800
• Cindy: $2,800
• Delaney: $2,600

Statistics at the first break (15 clues):

• Dave: 6 correct, 1 incorrect
• Cindy: 4 correct, 0 incorrect
• Delaney: 3 correct, 0 incorrect

Today’s interviews:

• Dave was once visited by a four-foot-long snake in his home.
• Cindy enjoys historic cabins.
• Delaney is a huge fan of Ozzy Osbourne; one of her tattoos was dedicated to him when he passed away.
• All three players had a good second half of the round as all were separated by just $1,600 after 30 clues.

Statistics after the Jeopardy! round:

• Dave: 9 correct, 1 incorrect
• Cindy: 10 correct, 0 incorrect
• Delaney: 8 correct, 0 incorrect

Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:

• Dave: $6,000
• Cindy: $5,400
• Delaney: $4,400

Double Jeopardy! Round:

• Categories: Bodies Of Water; 19th Century Drama; The Doctor Will See You Now; Fiendish Entertainment; Pleas; Thank You
• Dave missed DD2 midway through the round, dropping to second place.
• Delaney jumped into the lead, but Cindy found DD3. Her correct response meant she led going into Final Jeopardy!
• A more aggressive bet on DD3 (second-row Daily Double) could have given Cindy a runaway going into Final Jeopardy.

Statistics after Double Jeopardy:

• Cindy: 19 correct, 1 incorrect
• Delaney: 13 correct, 0 incorrect
• Dave: 16 correct, 4 incorrect
• Total number of unplayed clues this season: 6 (0 today)

Scores going into Final:

• Cindy: $16,600
• Delaney: $11,600
• Dave: $6,700

Final Jeopardy Results:

Cindy was the only player correct in Final Jeopardy, and that made her the new champion! She’ll be back tomorrow to defend.

Tonight’s results:

• Dave: $6,700 – $6,000 = $700
• Delaney: $11,600 – $10,000 = $1,600 
• Cindy: $16,600 + $6,601 = $23,201

Tomorrow, Jeopardy! viewers will see if Cindy can defend her title. Hulu, Peacock, and fuboTV stream Jeopardy!