break (the) ice

Translations
растопить лед
The joke helped break the ice at the meeting.
Шутка помогла растопить лед на собрании.
Definitions
To do or say something to relieve tension or get conversation going in a social setting, especially among people meeting for the first time.
Words
break

verb
сломать
the

article or possessive pronoun
определённый
ice

noun
лёд