# shatter the ice

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/shatter-the-ice
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To break the ice in a sudden or dramatic fashion.

## Examples

- He shattered the ice with a loud, unexpected joke.
- The room was silent until she shattered the ice by shouting a bold, controversial opinion.
- With a sudden, sharp remark that silenced the room, he shattered the ice and forced the group to confront the tension they had ignored for hours.

## Origin

The phrase is a figurative extension of the metaphor established in the earlier idiom to break the ice. It employs the same imagery of clearing a frozen passage, though with a distinct emphasis on the suddenness of the disruption.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.