on ice
Idioms-
In reserve or readiness. This idiom often occurs with put , meaning “to place in reserve,” as in Let's put that proposal on ice until we have the funds to implement it . This usage alludes to putting things in cold storage for preservation. [ Slang ; late 1800s]
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In prison, as in He's been on ice for ten years . This usage may be derived in part from the slang term cooler for “jail.” [ Slang ; c. 1930]
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With a good chance of success, as in I'm sure she'll win—it's on ice . [ Slang ; early 1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But there is an emphasis in the show on ice hockey players wanting to respect women, rather than use them.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
So was it the emergence of the video or the possibility of a felony conviction that caused ABC to put this season of “The Bachelorette” on ice?
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026
Huang made the remarks late in January after the Wall Street Journal reported that Nvidia's plan to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI had been put on ice.
From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026
To be sure, weird things happen on ice and snow when athletes are ripping down mountains and carving around sharp turns—and glory is decided by fractions of a second.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026
Hannah shivered at the sound and took Gitl’s hand again, ice on ice.
From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
