Wheel of Fortune fans were left frustrated Monday night after contestant Clint Ingalls missed out on a brand-new 2025 Ford Explorer in what many are calling one of the game’s toughest bonus puzzles. Ingalls had fought hard to reach the final, dominating early rounds with $16,650 in cash and a trip to Chicago. Rival Walker surged ahead with $18,000 and a European vacation, but controversy struck during the Triple Toss Up puzzle “Well-Balanced Meal.”
Walker gave the correct answer but failed to hit her buzzer in time, leading host Ryan Seacrest to rule it invalid. The decision split viewers, but it paved the way for Ingalls to advance with $26,150 in winnings. Then came the Bonus Round. Choosing “Phrase,” Ingalls faced the board: T _ _ N _ _ _ G. After adding G, A, M, and Y to the standard letters, he guessed “Thank You.” The correct answer: Think Big.
Seacrest revealed the prize envelope held the keys to a Ford Explorer. Ingalls laughed off the miss: “That’s what I didn’t do.”
Fans quickly reacted online. “Definitely not enough letters to get it,” one viewer wrote, while another admitted, “I couldn’t solve it either.” Still, some insisted the puzzle was fair: “I knew it was ‘Think Big’ once the G appeared.”
