verb phrase🎓 English idiom

break the ice

to ease tension and start a conversation

What it means

To say or do something that relieves awkwardness or tension among people who don't know each other well, so that conversation can begin more comfortably. Often used about the first moments of a meeting, party, or first encounter.

Examples

  • She told a funny story to break the ice with the new team members.
  • A simple question about the weather can break the ice with strangers.
  • The host played a quick game to break the ice before dinner began.
  • I never know how to break the ice when I meet my partner's relatives.

Where it comes from

The image comes from ships breaking through ice to open a passage for others to follow; by the 1600s it was used figuratively for clearing the way in social or business dealings.

Related idioms

#clear the air#speak of the devil#see eye to eye#on the same page

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