Answer 1: OWN path explained
For solution entry 1, the checked spelling is OWN. Its 3 cells connect row 5, column 1, where the first letter is O, with row 5, column 3, where the final letter is N. Count right 2 times while tracing. That produces 0 bends and 1 linear section, a concise geometry signature for comparing the written answer with the overlay.
The coordinate transcript is 1 at row 5, column 1; 2 at row 5, column 2; 3 at row 5, column 3. Reading those cells yields O → W → N and therefore OWN. All consecutive coordinates share either a row or a column, while neither coordinate is repeated. The complete trace fits inside a rectangle 1 rows high and 3 columns wide; use that footprint to locate the route before following each numbered step.
Answer 2: ROUND path explained
Answer 2 is ROUND, a 5-letter route. It begins with R at row 2, column 4 and finishes with D at row 5, column 5. Following the stored solution requires moving down 3 times and right 1 time. The route contains 2 turns across 3 straight segments, so the word is not established by spelling alone; the geometry must also agree with every consecutive letter.
Follow 1 at row 2, column 4; 2 at row 3, column 4; 3 at row 3, column 5; 4 at row 4, column 5; 5 at row 5, column 5 to reconstruct the saved path. In tile order, the board supplies R → O → U → N → D. That sequence confirms ROUND directly rather than relying on an answer list alone. From its highest to lowest occupied row the path covers 4 rows; from its leftmost to rightmost cell it covers 2 columns. Every transition stays within that footprint and uses a shared edge.
Answer 3: WREATH path explained
WREATH fills answer slot 3 with 6 letters. The stored trace runs from W at row 4, column 1 to H at row 1, column 1. Its movement record is up 3 times, left 1 time, and right 1 time, divided into 4 straight segments by 3 turns. Every change of direction remains orthogonal, which is as important to validation as reading the letters in the right order.
A one-based replay reads as follows: 1 at row 4, column 1; 2 at row 4, column 2; 3 at row 3, column 2; 4 at row 3, column 1; 5 at row 2, column 1; 6 at row 1, column 1. Substituting the board letters gives W → R → E → A → T → H, an exact match for WREATH. No coordinate appears twice and no step skips across a corner. The route’s extent is 4 by 2 when measured in occupied rows and columns, which offers a second check independent of the displayed numbering.
Answer 4: DOLPHIN path explained
The 4th verified word, DOLPHIN, occupies 7 tiles. Start on D at row 2, column 5 and end on N at row 4, column 3. Between those endpoints the route goes up 1 time, down 3 times, and left 2 times. It forms 3 straight runs and changes direction 2 times; no diagonal connection is being implied between the runs.
Read the numbered route in this exact order: 1 at row 2, column 5; 2 at row 1, column 5; 3 at row 1, column 4; 4 at row 1, column 3; 5 at row 2, column 3; 6 at row 3, column 3; 7 at row 4, column 3. The letters encountered are D → O → L → P → H → I → N, which reproduces DOLPHIN without a jump, diagonal move, or repeated square. The route spans 4 rows and 3 columns. That bounding box is a useful visual check when comparing the written solution with the board overlay.