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

The best podcasts of 2024 were with us for the long haul. —Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Dec. 2024

If they are left standing or produce timber that’s used as a building material, then that draws down carbon from the atmosphere for the long haul. —Alexa Phillips, WIRED, 16 Dec. 2024

With host cities for the game mapped out through 2027 and a new 10-year broadcast deal with CBS announced Monday, the path forward the two academies set forth this season is expected to be intact for the long haul. —Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun, 13 Dec. 2024

Staying at the crease and bedding in for the long haul was supposed to be the original aim in attritional Tests. —Tim Ellis, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

long haul

noun

1

: a long distance

2

: a long period of time

long-haul adjective