One contestant’s slip-up on Wheel of Fortune during the bonus round left even host Ryan Seacrest scratching his head.

On the November 18 episode, Joey Sweet, a program director from Oceanside, California, came agonizingly close to winning a $40,000 prize. The category was “phrase,” and Sweet had a nearly completed puzzle when he made his guess.

The puzzle read, “CA_ED’ ‘_ _’ ‘_AND,'” after Sweet selected the letters C, D, M, and A, with an extra letter “F” from his Wild Card. The young contestant’s guess, “Cleared in hand,” seemed reasonable at first, but the timer ticked down with no correct solution. The answer, however, was “Carved By Hand” — a tricky solution that caused some frustration for both Sweet and viewers.

Even Vanna White, who had been eagerly awaiting the reveal, threw her hands up in disappointment after the incorrect guess. Seacrest, who has hosted the show since 2021, was quick to offer consolation. “You were on the right track. This is a tricky one,” he said, speaking directly to Sweet. He then opened the gold prize card to reveal the $40,000 that Sweet had missed out on, but Seacrest didn’t stop there. “Tough one,” he remarked, adding, “Even with the head start,” referring to Sweet’s Wild Card wedge.

Despite missing out on the big prize, Sweet remained upbeat and gracious. “It’s okay!” he responded, showing the audience that he wasn’t letting the tough puzzle get him down. He walked away with a prize package worth over $16,000 in cash and a trip to Mexico, making for a decent consolation prize.

The puzzling moment quickly went viral after a clip of the game was shared on YouTube. Fans flooded the comments to express how difficult the puzzle had been. “I don’t think I would have solved that unless I chose the right letters.” Tricky one indeed,” one viewer shared. Another fan pointed out how “By” is often a difficult word to guess in the bonus round, and many agreed. The chatter continued on social media, with one person on X (formerly Twitter) writing, “To be fair, ‘By’ is a difficult word to think of when you think of 2-letter words on Wheel. #WheelOfFortune.”