set the tone

idiom

: to establish a quality, feeling, or attitude by a manner of speaking or writing

Her lighthearted question set the tone for the rest of the interview.

Examples of set the tone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Although Lloyd contributed a wealth of time into her career with 316 caps and 134 international goals, the two-time FIFA Player of the Year (2016, 2017) set the tone with the all-time fastest hat trick in FIFA World Cup history. —Jackie Gutierrez, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025

Tennis’ international clientele helps set the tone for F1’s arrival. —Luke Smith, New York Times, 3 May 2025

Venice and Taft had split two regular-season meetings, both by 2-1 scores, so the Gondoliers’ No. 1 pair felt the pressure to set the tone for their team with the City title at stake. —Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025

Lamar set the tone for the evening by emphasizing the importance of the gathering, particularly amid the ongoing global trade war initiated by President Donald Trump — a development that has raised widespread concern throughout the industry. —Andre Claudio, Footwear News, 30 Apr. 2025

Rhymes for set the tone

• acetone
• anglophone
• baritone
• bourguignon
• buspirone
• chaperon
• chaperone
• cobblestone
• collarbone
• cornerstone
• cortisone
• dictaphone