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

Instead of fixing parts of the kitchen, a full remodel has kept it out of commission far longer than they anticipated.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026

WASHINGTON—The Qatari-gifted luxury jet that President Trump is using as Air Force One will get an upgrade this fall, according to the White House, putting the plane out of commission for roughly a month.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

On the south lawn of City Hall, a graffiti-tagged monument and fountain have been out of commission for most of the last six decades.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 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

“But they’re out of commission for now. The problem is, this is only a fraction of the Sleeper’s army.”

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi