icebreaker

noun

ice·​break·​er ˈīs-ˌbrā-kər 

1

: a ship equipped (as with a reinforced bow) to make and maintain a channel through ice

2

: something that is done or said to get through the first difficulties in starting a conversation or discussion

Roughly half of all Americans are invested in the market these days, and stock holdings have replaced politics, weather and sports as the go-to conversational icebreaker.

—Adam Bryant

… she also pays particular attention to icebreakers that relax guests and get them rubbing elbows, such as a cruise up the Colorado River, where guests nibble on hors d'oeuvres and sip Fall Creek wines.

—Steve Heimoff

see also break the ice at break entry 1

Examples of icebreaker in a Sentence

using an old joke as a conversational icebreaker

Recent Examples on the Web

The voyage comes eight years after a natural gas tanker transited the Northern Sea Route without an icebreaker, and signals growing strategic implications as ice coverage continues to shrink. —Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025

Therapists often use games as icebreakers or group-building exercises. —Cas Holman, Time, 21 Oct. 2025

Continue reading … POLITICS POLAR PANIC – US turns to Finland to close Arctic ‘icebreaker gap’ as Russia, China expand polar presence. —FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2025

Over beers and homemade guac, lead guide Joy McCreary circles us up and asks everyone to state the important stuff—name, hometown, and favorite Dead tune—an icebreaker that also gives the band a list to work from. —John Briley, Outside, 28 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for icebreaker

• automaker
• boilermaker
• cabinetmaker
• coffeemaker
• troublemaker
• undertaker
• blackacre
• caretaker
• clockmaker
• dressmaker
• filmmaker
• homemaker

Kids Definition

icebreaker

noun

ice·​break·​er -ˌbrā-kər 

1

: a ship equipped to make and keep open a channel through ice

2

: something (as a joke or game) that makes one feel more at ease and less reserved (as at a party or meeting)