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Coding & Algorithms questions require understanding of core concepts and practice. PracHub provides solutions with explanations to help you master coding & algorithms interviews.

What difficulty level is this interview question?

This is a Medium difficulty Coding & Algorithms question, commonly asked during Onsite rounds at PayPal.

What role is this question designed for?

This question is commonly asked for Machine Learning Engineer candidates at PayPal during technical interviews.

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Search a word in a grid

Last updated: Mar 29, 2026

Quick Overview

This question evaluates proficiency in grid traversal and stateful search techniques such as depth-first search and backtracking, including visited-state management and pruning strategies within the Coding & Algorithms domain.

Medium
PayPal
Coding & Algorithms
Machine Learning Engineer

Search a word in a grid

Company: PayPal

Role: Machine Learning Engineer

Category: Coding & Algorithms

Difficulty: Medium

Interview Round: Onsite

Given a 2D grid of characters and a target word, determine if the word can be traced by moving up, down, left, or right, using each cell at most once. Describe an algorithm, analyze its time and space complexity, and discuss pruning or iterative improvements.

Quick Answer: This question evaluates proficiency in grid traversal and stateful search techniques such as depth-first search and backtracking, including visited-state management and pruning strategies within the Coding & Algorithms domain.