haul

[ hawl ]

See synonyms for: haul hauled hauling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to pull or draw with force; move by drawing; drag: They hauled the boat up onto the beach.
to cart or transport; carry: The locomotive hauled freight over the Wasatch Mountains between Ogden, Utah, and Green River, Wyoming.

to lower; cause to descend (often followed by down): As the school gathered round the flagpole, the school custodian hauled down the flag.
to arrest or bring before a magistrate or other authority (often followed by before, in, to, into, etc.): He was hauled before the judge.

verb (used without object)

to pull or tug.
to go or come to a place, especially with effort: After roistering about the streets, they finally hauled into the tavern.

to do carting or transport, or move freight commercially.
Nautical.
- to sail, as in a particular direction.
- to draw or pull a vessel up on land, as for repairs or storage.
- (of the wind) to shift to a direction closer to the heading of a vessel (opposed to veer).
- (of the wind) to change direction, shift, or veer (often followed by round or to).

noun

an act or instance of hauling; a strong pull or tug.
something that is hauled.

the load hauled at one time; quantity carried or transported.
the distance or route over which anything is hauled.
Fishing.
- the quantity of fish taken at one draft of the net.
- the draft of a fishing net.
- the place where a seine is hauled.
the act of taking or acquiring something.
something that is taken or acquired: The thieves' haul included several valuable paintings.

Verb Phrases

haul off,
- Nautical. to change a ship's course so as to get farther off from an object.
- to withdraw; leave.
- Informal. to draw back the arm in order to strike; prepare to deal a blow: He hauled off and struck the insolent lieutenant a blow to the chin.
haul up,
- to bring before a superior for judgment or reprimand; call to account.
- to come to a halt; stop.
- Nautical. to change the course of (a sailing vessel) so as to sail closer to the wind.
- Nautical. (of a sailing vessel) to come closer to the wind.
- Nautical. (of a vessel) to come to a halt.

Idioms about haul

haul around, Nautical.
- to brace (certain yards of a sailing vessel).
- (of the wind) to change in a clockwise direction.
haul in with, Nautical. to approach.

haul / shag ass, Slang: Vulgar. to get a move on; hurry.

Origin of haul

First recorded in 1550–60; earlier hall, variant of hale²

synonym study For haul

1. See draw.

Other words from haul

re·haul, verb
un·hauled, adjective

Words that may be confused with haul

hall, haul

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use haul in a sentence

This lonely mushroom wasn’t the haul, mind you, but rather an indicator.
Mushroom Hunting at the End of the World | Danny Palumbo | November 12, 2020 | Eater
People who are resourceful and come up with ways of managing changing conditions personally or professionally do better over the long haul.
What You Can Learn from Living in Antarctica - Issue 92: Frontiers | Marissa Grunes | November 11, 2020 | Nautilus
I think we are in this for the long haul, and the more we integrate technology and the sooner we do it, the more we are serving students and keeping the rest of the community safe.
‘Telepresence’ robots are making virtual school feel a little more like real school | Jennifer Davis | November 10, 2020 | Washington Post
Check out the full Ivy Park x Adidas Monique try-on haul here.
Monique Is The Latest To Receive The Ivy Park Gift Box | Joe Colucci | November 9, 2020 | Essence.com
We shouldn’t expect this pandemic to end quickly even after a vaccine is available—and that means we’re in for a long haul.
The current state of the pandemic in five graphs | Sara Chodosh | October 23, 2020 | Popular-Science

And a 9-year-old black girl was handcuffed and hauled off to jail by police in Oregon.
It's Not Just Teens Like Michael Brown—Even Small Black Children Are Suspect | Sally Kohn | August 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
An Instagram user was also able to snap a photo of LaBeouf being hauled off in handcuffs by NYPD officers.
Shia LaBeouf’s Most Gangsta Move Yet: Getting Hauled Off In Handcuffs During Broadway’s ‘Cabaret’ | Marlow Stern | June 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Here he is describing the state of the body when it is hauled ashore: “Its humanity had been lost to the ravages of nature.”
This Week’s Hot Reads: March 3, 2014 | Nicholas Mancusi | March 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
We hauled them out immediately, regardless of his feelings.
Polar Explorer vs. Reality TV Crew: Tim Jarvis in the Footsteps of Shackleton | Darrell Hartman | January 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Shawn sat up to say something, and he hauled off and backhanded her across the face.
The Strange and Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis | Richard Ben Cramer | January 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
A party of American marines boarded her, hauled down the Spanish flag, and tried to save the hull, but it was too far consumed.
The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
At night we hauled the seine, and procured about four dozen fish, principally mullet.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2] | Phillip Parker King
Bridges had been broken down, and the guns had to be hauled through jungle and woods under a scorching sun.
The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
At a quarter before seven o'clock we hauled to the wind for the night with a fresh gale from the southward.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2] | Phillip Parker King
Standing near the top of the stairs, he reached out and hauled the bound and helpless guard down to his level.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for haul

haul

/ (hɔːl) /

verb

to drag or draw (something) with effort
(tr) to transport, as in a lorry

nautical to alter the course of (a vessel), esp so as to sail closer to the wind
(tr) nautical to draw or hoist (a vessel) out of the water onto land or a dock for repair, storage, etc
(intr) nautical (of the wind) to blow from a direction nearer the bow: Compare veer 1 (def. 3b)
(intr) to change one's opinion or action

noun

the act of dragging with effort
(esp of fish) the amount caught at a single time

something that is hauled
the goods obtained from a robbery
a distance of hauling: a three-mile haul
the amount of a contraband seizure: arms haul; drugs haul
in the long haul or over the long haul
- in a future time
- over a lengthy period of time

Origin of haul

C16: from Old French haler, of Germanic origin; see hale ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with haul

haul

In addition to the idioms beginning with haul

haul off
haul over the coals
haul up

also see:

long haul
rake (haul) over the coals

Browse