out of order
Idioms-
Not functioning well, not operating properly or at all, as in The oil burner is out of order again . [Mid-1500s]
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Unsuitable, inappropriate, as in Her comments about the management were out of order . Also see out of line , def. 1.
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Not following parliamentary procedure, as in The chair called him out of order .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"How can we, blood relatives, not know of the child, and the prime minister says he knows? That is totally out of order," the clan member added.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
On Monday Mr. Khanna’s amendment was ruled out of order.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
"The fountain was out of order and the lawns were bad -- it was necessary," says 40-something neighborhood resident Dina Smith.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
A figure within the industry said it would not be out of order for someone with her skills and connections to command a 10% commission on products for which she secured a contract.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
He knew there were big chunks of this situation that were completely uncool and out of order.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
