long haul

noun

plural long hauls

1

: a long distance

New England ski areas are a long haul—12 to 15 hours by car—for Pittsburgh area skiers.

—Lawrence Walsh

The existing system of alternating-current (AC) power lines is not robust enough to carry power from these centers to consumers everywhere and would lose too much energy over long hauls.

—Ken Zweibel et al.

2

: a considerable period of time : long run

—usually used in the phrases for the long haul, over the long haul, and in the long haul

Honest, open and relaxed, they are clearly a couple planning for the long haul.

—Tom Seligson

Over the long haul, though, ecosystems can sequester significant amounts of carbon.

—Sid Perkins

Treasury bills pay next to nothing in real terms over the long haul.

—Richard C. Morais

A good stock will have its bad days, weeks, and even years, but in the long haul, its performance will closely match the performance of the business.

—Alex Dumortier

long-haul

ˈlȯŋ-ˌhȯl 

adjective

long-haul truckers

Boeing has configured the long-haul Dreamliner with eight seats across in the coach section, with an option for nine.

—Bill Saporito

see also long-hauler

Synonyms of long haul

• mile

Examples of long haul in a Sentence

Driving across the country would be a long haul.

growing up in suburban New England, I used to think the 10 miles between our house and the mall was a long haul

Recent Examples on the Web

That margin makes a huge difference for workers and families over the long haul, giving middle-class investors the higher compounding returns that can deliver their retirement and savings goals. —Will Dunham, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2025

By no means does this trim change our view that Goldman is a great stock for the long haul and a great company taking advantage of the resurgence of long-dormant Wall Street dealmaking. —Jeff Marks, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2025

Plus, it’s made from 100 percent genuine leather, which means it’s built to last for the long haul. —Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 3 Dec. 2025

There were 182 passengers packed into more than a dozen 10-passenger gondola cars, dangling from the mile-long haul rope extending from the base to the top of the mountain at Sunspot. —John Meyer, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for long haul

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

Kids Definition

long haul

noun

1

: a long distance

2

: a long period of time

long-haul adjective