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 of regain

• recapture
• retrieve
• recover
• reclaim

Examples of regain in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Lifetime appointments typically come with a remove from political upheaval, even of the scale of Tuesday’s elections where Democrats regained control of both the House and Senate. — Seung Min Kim, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026

Evander Holyfield regains the WBA and IBF heavyweight championships from Riddick Bowe in a fight disrupted by a parachutist. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

Blood sugar can rise again, particularly if someone regains weight or their pancreas loses more of its ability to produce insulin. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026

Now, her family must reckon with the consequences as Agnes van Rhijn seizes an opportunity to regain her position. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1569, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing regain

• regain consciousness

Rhymes for regain

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign

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