haul off

British  

verb

1. informal (foll by and) to draw back in preparation (esp to strike or fight)

   I hauled off and slugged him

2. nautical to alter the course of a vessel so as to avoid an obstruction, shallow waters, etc

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haul off Idioms  

1. Draw back slightly, in preparation for some action. For example, He hauled off and smacked his brother in the face . [c. 1800]

2. Also, haul out . Shift operations to a new place, move away. For example, The group gradually hauled off to the West Coast , or The train hauled out just as I arrived . [Second half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

You didn't even go to a seafood shop; you just drove down there with a cooler and looked for somebody taking their haul off a boat.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2022

Once streets were cleared, trucks could haul off the debris from thousands of destroyed homes and buildings.

From Washington Post • Dec. 19, 2021

The department’s explosives experts were content to haul off nearly all of the illegal stash to a secured location for destruction.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2021

No self-respecting ex-contractor signs up to become an inspector dreaming of the day she has to order somebody to cut their grass, haul off a rusted car or repair broken windows and leaking roofs.

From Washington Times • Jul. 26, 2020

I looked at her and darned if she didn’t haul off and wink at me.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls