Wheel of Fortune Contestant’s Bonus Round Slip-Up Goes Viral

A recent Wheel of Fortune episode delivered one of the season’s most talked-about moments after contestant Joey Sweet missed a $40,000 bonus round puzzle—leaving even host Ryan Seacrest visibly baffled.

During the November 18 show, Sweet, a program director from Oceanside, California, faced a nearly solved “phrase” puzzle reading “CA_ED’ _ _’ _AND.” After choosing C, D, M, A, and an extra F from his Wild Card, he confidently guessed “Cleared in hand.” But the real answer was the trickier phrase “Carved By Hand.”

Even Vanna White threw her hands up in disbelief as Seacrest gently reassured him. “You were on the right track… this is a tricky one,” he said while revealing the missed $40,000 prize. Still, Sweet kept his spirits high, leaving with more than $16,000 and a trip to Mexico.

A clip of the moment quickly exploded online. Fans chimed in with sympathy and humor—many noting that “By” is notoriously hard to guess in bonus rounds. The incident follows another viral blunder from the week before, proving once again that Wheel of Fortune never runs out of unforgettable moments.