regain

verb

re·​gain ri-ˈgān 

regained; regaining

transitive verb

1

: to gain (something) anew : to get (something) again : recover

She regained her health/strength.

I regained my footing/balance.

struggling to regain his composure

pulled ahead to regain the lead

Some of them regained the weight they had lost.

… was still alive and slowly regaining consciousness.

—Walter Isaacson

… managed to regain control of the airplane and execute a successful landing …

—Peter Katz

2

: to get back to (something) : to reach (something) again

After a prolonged struggle to regain the ridge, during which the only assistance my partners could offer was a tight rope, I crawled back along the path I had so recently chiseled …

—Jeff Lowe

… one of them was unhorsed and then, when out of view, regained his saddle.

—Daniel J. Boorstin

Synonyms

• get back
• re-collect
• reacquire
• recapture
• reclaim
• recoup
• recover
• repossess
• retake
• retrieve

Examples of regain in a Sentence

our team regained the ball with just two minutes left on the clock

Recent Examples on the Web

Volz’s group led the work on Florida’s 2018 constitutional amendment that allowed Florida felons to regain the right to vote. —Max Greenwood, Miami Herald, 31 May 2024

By now, your scores should have regained most of the ground lost to this unfortunate incident. —Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2024

The Vatican said the prayer invoked a same-day miracle that saw Valeria breathing on her own, as well as regaining some mobility and speech. —Armani Syed, TIME, 24 May 2024

But TikTok still presents challenges as the former president seeks to regain the White House. —Anjali Huynh, New York Times, 23 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1569, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing regain

• regain consciousness

Kids Definition

regain

verb

re·​gain

ri-ˈgān

1

: to gain or get again

regained my health

2

: to get back to : reach again

regain the shore