Answer 1: ICY path explained
ICY fills answer slot 1 with 3 letters. The stored trace runs from I at row 4, column 2 to Y at row 5, column 1. Its movement record is down 1 time and left 1 time, divided into 2 straight segments by 1 turn. 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 2; 2 at row 4, column 1; 3 at row 5, column 1. Substituting the board letters gives I → C → Y, an exact match for ICY. No coordinate appears twice and no step skips across a corner. The route’s extent is 2 by 2 when measured in occupied rows and columns, which offers a second check independent of the displayed numbering.
Answer 2: OVAL path explained
The 2nd verified word, OVAL, occupies 4 tiles. Start on O at row 1, column 4 and end on L at row 3, column 5. Between those endpoints the route goes down 2 times and right 1 time. It forms 2 straight runs and changes direction 1 time; no diagonal connection is being implied between the runs.
Read the numbered route in this exact order: 1 at row 1, column 4; 2 at row 1, column 5; 3 at row 2, column 5; 4 at row 3, column 5. The letters encountered are O → V → A → L, which reproduces OVAL without a jump, diagonal move, or repeated square. The route spans 3 rows and 2 columns. That bounding box is a useful visual check when comparing the written solution with the board overlay.
Answer 3: QUICK path explained
For solution entry 3, the checked spelling is QUICK. Its 5 cells connect row 5, column 3, where the first letter is Q, with row 5, column 5, where the final letter is K. Count up 1 time, down 1 time, and right 2 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 5, column 3; 2 at row 4, column 3; 3 at row 4, column 4; 4 at row 4, column 5; 5 at row 5, column 5. Reading those cells yields Q → U → I → C → K and therefore QUICK. 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 3 columns wide; use that footprint to locate the route before following each numbered step.
Answer 4: LANTERN path explained
Answer 4 is LANTERN, a 7-letter route. It begins with L at row 3, column 1 and finishes with N at row 2, column 4. Following the stored solution requires moving up 2 times, down 1 time, and right 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 1; 2 at row 2, column 1; 3 at row 1, column 1; 4 at row 1, column 2; 5 at row 2, column 2; 6 at row 2, column 3; 7 at row 2, column 4 to reconstruct the saved path. In tile order, the board supplies L → A → N → T → E → R → N. That sequence confirms LANTERN directly rather than relying on an answer list alone. From its highest to lowest occupied row the path covers 3 rows; from its leftmost to rightmost cell it covers 4 columns. Every transition stays within that footprint and uses a shared edge.