Meaning & use
a good haul
Last updated
Meaning
phrasecountableinformal
A large or impressive amount of something that has been collected, caught, or obtained.
Grammar: Used as a countable noun phrase: a good haul, two good hauls. Often follows verbs like get, make, or bring in.
Patterns
- get a good haul
- make a good haul
- bring in a good haul
The fishermen brought in a good haul of cod this morning.
She got a good haul of bargains at the summer sale.
We made a good haul of mushrooms in the forest yesterday.
Common combinations
- a good haul of
- They returned with a good haul of fish.
- get a good haul
- The team got a good haul of points in the competition.
- make a good haul
- The burglars made a good haul before the alarm went off.
- bring in a good haul
- The trawler brought in a good haul after three days at sea.
Synonyms and how they differ
- catch
- Used mainly for fish or animals; 'haul' is broader and can refer to shopping or stolen goods too.
- bumper crop
- Specifically for a large harvest of crops; 'haul' is more general.
Opposites
Commonly confused: a good haul or haul?
a good haul vs haul
As a verb, 'haul' means to pull something heavy; as a noun it can mean the amount collected. The phrase 'a good haul' uses the noun sense.
Practice
After a long day of shopping, she said she had ______.
Choose one answer.
'A good haul' is the fixed phrase for a large amount of things obtained, especially from shopping. 'A good catch' is used for fish or for a desirable partner, and 'a good pull' or 'a good drag' are not used in this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a good haul”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.