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

To regain public trust in an era of unclear realities, one solution that’s been employed by major companies such as Meta and Google — as well as the Biden administration — is digital watermarking. —Laura Bratton, Quartz, 8 May 2024

McArthur looked to regain his form after blowing a save against the Texas Rangers last weekend. —Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2024

But in rare instances, the weakened OPV viruses can regain their ability to paralyze and start to circulate among susceptible children, sparking new polio outbreaks in areas where vaccination rates are low. —Byleslie Roberts, science.org, 7 May 2024

Eventually, Edwards responded by scoring back-to-back baskets to regain the lead. —Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 4 May 2024

The push to regain foreign visitors in Los Angeles is reflected in national tourism statistics. —Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024

Some Performance Impact In days of yore, some security suites gained a well-deserved reputation as resource hogs, to the point where users would turn off security to regain performance. —PCMAG, 30 Apr. 2024

United Launch Alliance As a result, a required orbit insertion burn did not happen on time and because of unrelated communications issues, flight controllers were unable to regain control in time to press ahead with a space station rendezvous. —William Harwood, CBS News, 7 May 2024

Russell regained his starting spot in mid-January and later set the franchise’s single-season record for 3-point baskets. —Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 6 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