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 at break entry 1
Steve HeimoffExamples of icebreaker in a Sentence
using an old joke as a conversational icebreaker
Recent Examples on the Web
While at a friend's engagement party in October last year, Carly Hay, 27, and the other guests wore name tags with icebreakers on them to get people talking.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025
This is about, as the polar ice caps pull back, the Chinese are now cranking out icebreakers and pushing up there as well.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2025
My friend was so sour about my community icebreakers.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2025
It was meant to be a friendly, low-stakes icebreaker; explained as an activity that Maezawa and his team frequently played together.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for icebreaker
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John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025
This is about, as the polar ice caps pull back, the Chinese are now cranking out icebreakers and pushing up there as well.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2025
My friend was so sour about my community icebreakers.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2025
It was meant to be a friendly, low-stakes icebreaker; explained as an activity that Maezawa and his team frequently played together.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for icebreaker
Cite this Entry
“Icebreaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/icebreaker. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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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