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

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

Around 10% of U.S. natural gas production was temporarily knocked out of commission just as demand was spiking, noted strategists at Saxo Bank.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 26, 2026

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

From Barron's • Nov. 27, 2025

Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered an investigation into the loss of pressure and the lack of water available from a reservoir in Pacific Palisades that was out of commission for repairs.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2025

And then I think, does she mean “finished,” as in kaput, over and done with, out of commission?

From "The Unfinished Angel" by Sharon Creech