hauled off
Taken away forcibly
Hauled off means drew back before striking: He hauled off and punched him in the jaw.
The phrase captures the windup motion before a blow—pulling back to generate force.
Less commonly, it means departed abruptly or was taken away by force: The cops hauled him off to jail.
- struck outFailed at bat
- removedTaken from position
- draggedPulled heavily along
- carted awayForcibly removed, transported elsewhere
- goneNo longer present
cleared out · got out of Dodge · lugged · attacked · transported · shipped out · swung · lashed out · punched · pulled · departed · decked · walloped · carried · retreated · withdrew · retaliated · hit
forcible removal vs. leaving in place
hauled offleft in place
left alone · left behind · brought in · abandoned · deposited
sudden aggressive action vs. restraint
hauled offheld back
Kept from advancing
bit one's tongue · walked away · stayed calm · kept one's cool · hesitated