break the ice

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.

“I yelled out howdy” to break the ice, he explained.

From Washington Post

So, how do you break the ice in a half-frozen city full of people unsure how to defrost?

From Seattle Times

"Americans can be considered the arrogant brother and we were looking to break the ice with locals. The name gave us a lot of humility and a way to enter Mexico City's cultural life," he added.

From Reuters

Seeking to break the ice at their first summit in Singapore, Trump told Kim the nickname wasn’t as much of a put-down as it sounded.

From Seattle Times

"This small, sweating, evil man tried to break the ice with all the charm you would expect from a mass murderer. 'Mr. Director,' he opened, 'I didn't think you'd show up. I know you've been trying to kill me,'" Pompeo wrote.

From Salon