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

Here are a few ways to keep young workers engaged for the long haul: • Give them cutting-edge problems to solve. —Jim Pauley, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

Finding healthy patterns Ultimately, according to Rhodes, the best way to support long-term weight loss and metabolic health is to find a pattern of eating that works for the individual and can be sustained for the long haul. —Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2025

While some members of Gen Z are filling trade positions, data suggests that few intend to stay in the sector for the long haul. —Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025

That’s a guy any team would want to keep around for the long haul. —Jared Wyllys, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 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