This is the 11379th most frequent French word.
regagnait
"Regagnait" means "was regaining" or "was returning to."
In this sentence, 'regagnait' indicates the repeated action of returning to a specific place, her apartment, after an event, demonstrating the imperfect tense to describe habitual past actions.
Chaque soir, elle regagnait son appartement après le travail.
Each evening, she would return to her apartment after work.
Here, 'regagnait' is used to describe the process of recovering or reclaiming speed after losing it, again utilizing the imperfect tense to indicate an ongoing past action.
Le coureur regagnait sa vitesse après le virage difficile.
The runner was regaining his speed after the difficult turn.
Finally, 'regagnait' shows the act of gradually recovering or earning back something—in this case, confidence—demonstrating the imperfect tense for a continuous or developing past action.