haul

1 of 2

verb

hauled; hauling; hauls

transitive verb

1
a
: to cause (something) to move by pulling or drawing : to exert traction on
haul a wagon
b
: to obtain or move by or as if by hauling
was hauled to parties night after night by his wife
c
: to transport in a vehicle : cart
The cattle were hauled to market.
trucks hauling freight
2
: to change the course of (a ship) especially so as to sail closer to the wind
3
: to bring before an authority for interrogation or judgment : hale
haul traffic violators into court

intransitive verb

1
: to exert traction : pull
haul back on the reins
2
: to move along : proceed
about three o'clock we hauled into MoonridgeKenneth Clark
the bull hauled back for another lungeF. B. Gipson
3
: to furnish transportation
a nominal charge for hauling
4
of the wind : shift

haul

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: the act or process of hauling (see haul entry 1) : pull
The rope stood up under the strain of the haul.
b
: a device for pulling or carting something : a device for hauling
2
a
: the result of an effort to obtain, collect, or win
the burglar's haul
b
: the quantity of fish taken in a single draft of a net
3
a
: the act or process of transporting something in a vehicle : transportation by hauling
a rail haul meant that several hundred expensive … cars would have to be boughtN. M. Clark
b
: the length or course of a transportation route
a long haul
c
: a quantity transported : load
a haul of lumber
Phrases
haul ass
slang, often vulgar
: to move quickly
haul ass or you'll miss your flight

Examples of haul in a Sentence

Verb They hauled the boat up onto the beach. The car was hauled away to the junkyard. We used buckets to haul water up from the river. She hauled herself to her feet and limped home. I'm tired of hauling this heavy camera around with me. The prisoner was hauled away in handcuffs. They hauled her off to court. The cattle were hauled by rail. The company has a fleet of trucks that are used to haul freight. Noun each haul of the rope Authorities seized the drugs in one of the biggest drug hauls in the history of the county. The kids always collect a substantial haul of candy on Halloween. It's just a short haul from our cabin to the beach.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The streaming service earned 91 nominations for this year's Emmy Awards, second only to HBO, which hauled 111, and well ahead of Hulu's 18 and Amazon's 16 according to Business Insider. Hamza Shaban, chicagotribune.com, 18 July 2017 Hundreds of people, including prominent intellectuals, had signed the charter by the time Mr Liu was hauled away to his cell. The Economist, 15 July 2017 A pipeline that hauls oil from West Texas’ Permian Basin to Houston shut Thursday after a 1,200-barrel spill near the state capital, Austin. Ben Sharples, Bloomberg.com, 14 July 2017 Yeah, there's the handful of students who love running and are cooling at the finish line in ten minutes flat, but for everyone else, hauling yourself a full mile at a jog is no small feat. Brittney McNamara, Teen Vogue, 13 July 2017 The group is scheduled to meet with Waste Management, the company which hauls Mobile's garbage, on Wednesday. John Sharp, AL.com, 11 July 2017 Several cars of a freight train hauling crude oil derailed Friday night in Plainfield prompting an evacuation but no injuries, officials said. Chicago Tribune Staff, chicagotribune.com, 30 June 2017 The victim was taken to a hospital and was expected to survive his head wounds, Officer John Buttle said.. Officers cruised around the area, looking for the Winnebago hauling a black Jeep. Pauline Repard, sandiegouniontribune.com, 28 June 2017 According to Kansas City police, a truck hauling construction equipment struck part of the bridge, which dislodged concrete. Toriano Porter and Joe Robertson, kansascity.com, 24 June 2017
Noun
But his ultimate haul for the period drama was so much bigger. Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 12 Mar. 2024 Biden’s campaign announced Tuesday that its February fundraising haul set a fourth consecutive monthly record, but didn’t specify the total. Josh Wingrove, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024 Between Joey Bart, J.D. Davis and their glut of outfielders, the Giants also have trade chips to play with, though a top-line option such as Dylan Cease would also require a haul of prospects. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 Over time, more and more passengers will be drawn out of the hub and spoke model, which will lose the shortest, most expensive routes and be maintained for longer haul flights. Michael Barnard, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 Her haul thus far also includes a Golden Globe, SAG award, Critics Choice award and honors from the New York Film Critics Circle and Los Angeles Film Critics Association, to name a few. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024 So far, this global cybercrime syndicate’s haul from some 2,000 victims tops $120 million. Bynick Rockel, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2024 Not a bad haul for a couple of guys from Simi Valley. Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Allow your summer zucchini haul to shine in this amazing quick bread recipe. Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'haul.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English halen to pull, from Anglo-French haler, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch halen to pull; akin to Old English geholian to obtain

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of haul was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near haul

Cite this Entry

“Haul.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haul. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

haul

1 of 2 verb
1
: to pull or drag with effort : draw
haul a cart
2
: to obtain or move by or as if by hauling
3
: to transport in a vehicle
4
: to bring before an authority : hale
hauled him into court
hauler noun

haul

2 of 2 noun
1
: the act or process of hauling : pull
2
a
: an amount collected : take
a burglar's haul
b
: the amount of fish taken in a single drawing of a net
3
: the distance over which a load is hauled
a long haul
Etymology

Verb

Middle English halen "to pull," from early French haler (same meaning); of Germanic origin — related to hale entry 2

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