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

See Examples For:

out of commission

Roughly 5 million barrels a day of the world’s refining capacity is currently out of commission between the Middle East and Russia, energy executives said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

When a flood knocked Justin O’Neill’s kitchen out of commission in 2022, he and his wife decided to use the opportunity to do a full remodel.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026

NPR first reported in January that a number of toilets on the Ford were out of commission.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2025

Meanwhile, my phone is still out of commission, and I take a moment to reconfirm the fact that that means the airline app is useless, too.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith