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
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
Steve HeimoffExamples of icebreaker in a Sentence
using an old joke as a conversational icebreaker
Recent Examples on the Web
An Arctic Eclipse Experience EYOS Expeditions is offering a voyage into Greenland’s Scoresby Sund aboard the expedition yacht Aqua Lares, a former Class 1 icebreaker refitted for refined polar travel.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
The Leningrad nuclear icebreaker will be equipped with two RITM-200 reactor units.
—Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026
It was converted into the world’s first Class 1 icebreaker superyacht in 2003, then refitted for luxury travel in 2016 and rechristened Legend.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 15 May 2026
After the sinking, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported the Ursa Major was carrying port cranes and hatches designed to cover the nuclear reactors of a new icebreaker being built in Vladivostok.
—Pau Mosquera, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for icebreaker
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Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
The Leningrad nuclear icebreaker will be equipped with two RITM-200 reactor units.
—Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026
It was converted into the world’s first Class 1 icebreaker superyacht in 2003, then refitted for luxury travel in 2016 and rechristened Legend.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 15 May 2026
After the sinking, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported the Ursa Major was carrying port cranes and hatches designed to cover the nuclear reactors of a new icebreaker being built in Vladivostok.
—Pau Mosquera, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for icebreaker
Cite this Entry
“Icebreaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/icebreaker. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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)
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