haul off

haul off idiom
  1. Draw back slightly, in preparation for some action. For example, He hauled off and smacked his brother in the face. [c. 1800]
  2. Also, haul out. Shift operations to a new place, move away. For example, The group gradually hauled off to the West Coast, or The train hauled out just as I arrived. [Second half of 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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