regain lost time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "regain lost time" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to making up for time that has been wasted or lost. Example: After the delay, we worked overtime to regain lost time on the project. Alternative expressions include "make up for lost time" and "recover lost time."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

His was a truly heroic effort, not to regain lost time in the laborious manner of a Proust and others obsessed with childhood, but not to lose it in the first place.

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

"There is no cure for memory loss; some people will regain lost memories in time, but others will not be so fortunate".

BBC

That is because the time to regain lost ground can be short.

The New York Times

It will take Mancini rather longer to regain lost respect, and he may not have the time.

The Guardian - Sport

It can regain lost ground faster.

The Guardian - Opinion

Democratic women seek to regain lost ground in Sacramento.

Los Angeles Times

He helps leaders find and regain the lost time in their organizations by discovering and shrinking hidden factories in any system.

Huffington Post

The restriction procedures often worked initially but tended to fail over time, with many patients regaining lost weight.

The New York Times

So far during her time at HP's helm the company's stock has slowly regained lost value.

TechCrunch

Regaining lost credibility is difficult, but can be done.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

We're regaining lost ground.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "regain lost time" when you want to sound more formal or analytical than the idiomatic "make up for lost time". It is particularly effective in technical reports, biographies, or news articles discussing efficiency.

Common error

Avoid using "back" immediately after the phrase (e.g., "regain lost time back") as the prefix "re-" in regain already implies the act of getting something back. This creates a tautology that can weaken professional prose.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "regain lost time" functions as a transitive verb phrase where "regain" is the action and "lost time" is the direct object. In the examples provided by Ludwig, it is often used to describe efforts to overcome historical delays or personal setbacks. Ludwig AI indicates that it follows standard English syntax rules.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Academia

25%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Science

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "regain lost time" is a sophisticated and grammatically correct phrase used to describe the recovery of missed opportunities or delayed schedules. While Ludwig AI notes that its idiomatic cousin "make up for lost time" is more common in everyday speech, "regain lost time" remains a powerful choice for high-level journalism and academic writing. It carries a sense of gravity and deliberate effort, as seen in examples from The Guardian. When using this phrase, ensure that the context warrants a formal tone and avoid redundant phrasing like adding "back" at the end.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

make up for lost time

Standard idiomatic expression used in both formal and casual English.

recover lost time

Direct synonym that emphasizes the restoration of a previous state or resource.

reclaim lost time

Suggests a more assertive or intentional effort to take back time that was taken away.

recoup lost time

Often used in business or project management to describe regaining something that was expended.

compensate for lost time

Explicitly states the intent to balance the loss through extra effort.

retrieve lost time

Implies that the time was lost through error and is being actively brought back.

redeem lost time

Carries a connotation of making better use of the present to compensate for past waste.

regain lost ground

Metaphorical variant focusing on the progress or position rather than the clock itself.

restore lost time

Less common, focusing on bringing a system or schedule back to its original state.

catch up

Informal phrasal verb used for reaching a required level after a delay.

FAQs

How to use "regain lost time" in a sentence?

In "regain lost time", the phrase acts as a transitive verb. For example: "The company introduced automation to "regain lost time" caused by the recent supply chain delays".

What can I say instead of "regain lost time"?

Depending on the context, you can use more common phrases like "make up for lost time", "recover lost time", or "catch up".

Is "regain lost time" correct English?

Yes, it is correct. While the search results in Ludwig show that it is less frequent than other idioms, it is used by reputable sources like The Guardian to describe a heroic effort to recover wasted periods of life.

What is the difference between "regain lost time" and "regain lost ground"?

"regain lost time" focuses specifically on the temporal loss, while "regain lost ground" is a metaphor for recovering a competitive position or progress in a project.