This is the 1090th most frequent German word.
gelangen
To reach or to arrive at.
In this sentence, 'gelangen' is used to indicate physically reaching a destination or location.
Ich gelangte zur Tür, bevor sie sich schloss.
I reached the door before it closed.
Here, 'gelangen' figuratively means finding or arriving at a solution after a process or effort.
Nachdem sie lange gesucht hatten, gelangten sie schließlich zu einer Lösung.
After searching for a long time, they finally arrived at a solution.
In this context, 'gelingen' (a related form) is used to express the successful endeavor to complete a task.