break the ice

Cultural  

1. To remove the tension at a first meeting, at the opening of a party, etc.: “That joke really broke the ice at the conference; we all relaxed afterward.”

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break the ice Idioms  

1. Make a start, pave the way, as in Newton's theories broke the ice for modern physics . This idiom alludes to breaking ice in a channel so that a ship can pass. [Early 1600s] Also see break ground .

2. Relax a tense or very formal situation, as in Someone at the conference table will have to break the ice . [Early 1600s]

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Example Sentences

Speaking to reporters last month, U.S. assistant secretary of state Barbara Leaf noted moves by Washington's regional partners to break the ice with Assad and urged them to get something in return.

From Reuters

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed sympathy for the suffering of Korean forced laborers during Japan’s colonial rule and offered South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol a distinct concession in what may be a return favor for Mr. Yoon’s March initiative to break the ice and thaw long-frozen relations.

From Washington Times

If anyone was hoping the coronation would help break the ice between Harry and his brother, who were once so close, they are sure to have been disappointed.

From Seattle Times

Cejudo joked he ate fried chicken during his time off and his weight got up to “enough to break the ice.”

From Washington Times

I did make him meet me for a walk before our excursion, where I made a few corny “Game of Thrones” references to break the ice.

From Washington Post