out of commission

Idioms  

1. Not in working order, unable to function. For example, The drawbridge is out of commission so we'll have to take the tunnel. This idiom originally referred to a ship that was laid up for repairs or held in reserve. Similarly, the antonym, in commission, referred to a ship armed and ready for action. The latter term is also used in more general contexts today, as in My car's back in commission now, so we can drive to the theater. [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

At the time it was considered state of the art and hosted events like the Scottish Skateboarding Championship, but several years later the site was out of commission, after a decline in popularity, concern about maintenance costs and safety risks.

From BBC

Some experts, though, agree with residents that having the reservoir out of commission was a problem.

From Los Angeles Times

FedEx, too, will mostly be out of commission, though its Custom Critical services will be up and running.

From Barron's

Both the Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini plants were out of commission following the tsunami, creating a shortage in the electricity supply.

From Literature

The Palisades fire put three campuses out of commission in the nation’s second-largest school system.

From Los Angeles Times