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

• afar
• country mile
• far cry
• 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

Yes, after a six-year absence, Long’s Diane returned for Cheers’ final episode, briefly rekindling her fiery romance with ex-fiance Sam Malone (Ted Danson) before realizing that they’re simply not cut out for the long haul. —Randall Colburn, EW.com, 21 May 2025

The Cowboys anticipate already having Parsons in the fold for the long haul by the time next offseason rolls around. —Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 19 May 2025

Maybe building a roster for the long haul — one designed to win wars of attrition — is the true counter to teams stacked with top-heavy star power. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 18 May 2025

And with bundle options for extra filters or mop sets, you’re set for the long haul. —Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 13 May 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