haul

verb \ ˈhȯl \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of haul

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 Moonridge
—Kenneth Clark

the bull hauled back for another lunge
—F. B. Gipson

3 : to furnish transportation

a nominal charge for hauling

4 of the wind : shift

— haul ass

slang, often vulgar

: to move quickly

haul ass or you'll miss your flight

See haul defined for English-language learners

See haul defined for kids

Examples of haul in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of haul from the Web

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, "Netflix adds 5 million new subscribers, surpassing 100 million," 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, "China’s conscienceLiu Xiaobo’s death holds a message for China," 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, "Oil's Weekly Gain Belies Smaller-Than-$1 Increase From Late 2016," 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, "Girls in Saudi Arabia Will Can Soon Take Gym Class," 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, "Mobile inches forward on 'robust recycling' plan, despite council's cautious approach," 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, "Freight train hauling crude oil derails, causing evacuation but no injuries," 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, "Bay assault suspect makes getaway in RV towing a Jeep," 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, "Barry Road and U.S. 169 in Northland re-opened after bridge accident," 24 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'haul.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of haul

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: 13th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

haul Synonyms

haul

noun

Definition of haul

1 a : the act or process of hauling (see ¹haul) : 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 bought
—N. M. Clark

b : the length or course of a transportation route

a long haul

c : a quantity transported : load

a haul of lumber

See haul defined for English-language learners

Examples of haul in a Sentence

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 of haul from the Web

First came low-cost carriers, chipping away at their short-haul routes.

— The Economist, "Chinese aviation takes off," 7 Apr. 2018
Cardi showed off the haul with an enthusiastic video on Instagram.

— jordan runtagh, PEOPLE.com, "Chrissy Teigen Reacts After Cardi B Suggests a Threesome with Her and Rihanna in New Song," 6 Apr. 2018
That haul came after fundraising limits were removed by a conservative media personality who briefly self-funded a political fund but ultimately did not launch a campaign.

— bill ruthhart, chicagotribune.com, "Rahm Emanuel, challengers won't have fundraising limits in 2019 mayoral election," 4 Apr. 2018
The latest haul puts his fundraising total at $4.75 million since Bryce launched his campaign with a viral announcement video that drew national attention.

— mary spicuzza, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Paul Ryan challenger Randy Bryce raised $2.1 million last quarter," 2 Apr. 2018
The $411 million worldwide haul for del Toro’s film was enough to prompt a sequel, even if enthusiasm for a second installment was considerably higher in Asia.

— Time, "Pacific Rim: Uprising Takes Down Black Panther at Box Office," 25 Mar. 2018
Alaska's haul is second only to Texas, which will be offered $36.7 million in fiscal year 2018.

— erica martinson, Anchorage Daily News, "Nationwide gun sales net major funding for Alaska wildlife conservation projects," 22 Mar. 2018
IndyStar Colts Insider Stephen Holder breaks down the haul Chris Ballard and the Colts netted from Saturday's trade with the Jets.

— stephen holder, Indianapolis Star, "Pierre Desir: 'My first, second and third option was to come back to Indy'," 21 Mar. 2018
On Thursday morning, Audrey and 17 other Manual students will pile into their chaperones' cars and set out on the 600-mile haul to Washington.

— mandy mclaren, The Courier-Journal, "Angry and impassioned, JCPS students headed to Washington for gun control march," 19 Mar. 2018

Origin and Etymology of haul

see ¹haul

First Known Use: 1670

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

haul Synonyms

Synonyms

draw, jerk, pluck, pull, tug, wrench, yank;

Antonyms

push;

Near Antonyms

heave, shove, thrust;

Related Words

drag, tow;

hitch, twitch;

grab, snatch;

HAUL Defined for English Language Learners

haul

verb

Definition of haul for English Language Learners

: to pull or drag (something) with effort
: to move or carry (something) with effort
: to force (someone) to go or come to a place

haul

noun

Definition of haul for English Language Learners

: the act of pulling or dragging something with effort : the act of hauling something
: a usually large amount of something that has been stolen, collected, or won
: a distance to be traveled