Answer 1: ZEBRA path explained
For solution entry 1, the checked spelling is ZEBRA. Its 5 cells connect row 2, column 4, where the first letter is Z, with row 1, column 1, where the final letter is A. Count up 1 time and left 3 times while tracing. That produces 2 bends and 3 linear sections, a concise geometry signature for comparing the written answer with the overlay.
The coordinate transcript is 1 at row 2, column 4; 2 at row 2, column 3; 3 at row 2, column 2; 4 at row 1, column 2; 5 at row 1, column 1. Reading those cells yields Z → E → B → R → A and therefore ZEBRA. All consecutive coordinates share either a row or a column, while neither coordinate is repeated. The complete trace fits inside a rectangle 2 rows high and 4 columns wide; use that footprint to locate the route before following each numbered step.
Answer 2: FREEZE path explained
Answer 2 is FREEZE, a 6-letter route. It begins with F at row 3, column 6 and finishes with E at row 3, column 3. Following the stored solution requires moving up 1 time, down 1 time, and left 3 times. The route contains 3 turns across 4 straight segments, so the word is not established by spelling alone; the geometry must also agree with every consecutive letter.
Follow 1 at row 3, column 6; 2 at row 2, column 6; 3 at row 2, column 5; 4 at row 3, column 5; 5 at row 3, column 4; 6 at row 3, column 3 to reconstruct the saved path. In tile order, the board supplies F → R → E → E → Z → E. That sequence confirms FREEZE directly rather than relying on an answer list alone. From its highest to lowest occupied row the path covers 2 rows; from its leftmost to rightmost cell it covers 4 columns. Every transition stays within that footprint and uses a shared edge.
Answer 3: PIZZERIA path explained
PIZZERIA fills answer slot 3 with 8 letters. The stored trace runs from P at row 4, column 6 to A at row 6, column 5. Its movement record is down 2 times, left 3 times, and right 2 times, divided into 5 straight segments by 4 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 6; 2 at row 4, column 5; 3 at row 4, column 4; 4 at row 5, column 4; 5 at row 5, column 5; 6 at row 5, column 6; 7 at row 6, column 6; 8 at row 6, column 5. Substituting the board letters gives P → I → Z → Z → E → R → I → A, an exact match for PIZZERIA. No coordinate appears twice and no step skips across a corner. The route’s extent is 3 by 3 when measured in occupied rows and columns, which offers a second check independent of the displayed numbering.
Answer 4: ZOOKEEPER path explained
The 4th verified word, ZOOKEEPER, occupies 9 tiles. Start on Z at row 2, column 1 and end on R at row 4, column 1. Between those endpoints the route goes up 1 time, down 3 times, left 2 times, and right 2 times. It forms 7 straight runs and changes direction 6 times; no diagonal connection is being implied between the runs.
Read the numbered route in this exact order: 1 at row 2, column 1; 2 at row 3, column 1; 3 at row 3, column 2; 4 at row 4, column 2; 5 at row 4, column 3; 6 at row 5, column 3; 7 at row 5, column 2; 8 at row 5, column 1; 9 at row 4, column 1. The letters encountered are Z → O → O → K → E → E → P → E → R, which reproduces ZOOKEEPER 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.