dead in the water

Idioms  

1. Unable to function or move; inoperable. For example, Without an effective leader, our plans for expansion are dead in the water. Originally referring to a crippled ship, this colloquialism was soon applied more broadly.

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Example Sentences

“We sailed past a hippocamp last month, dead in the water at the Lithian peninsula,” said Warren.

From Literature

Still, the revival of a trade deal once deemed dead in the water is good news for both the EU and India.

From The Wall Street Journal

The boats had rejected their inputs and automatically idled as a fail-safe, making them “dead” in the water.

From The Wall Street Journal

He said the boats went “dead in the water” as an automatic fail-safe, which prevented them from causing damage or injury.

From The Wall Street Journal

Once again, we were dead in the water.

From Literature