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
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The moment gave the Bay Area an inkling of what the rest of the season would look like and set the tone for the home environment for the rest of the season.
—
Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025
Not showing up on the score sheet is the way Williams began to pick up the pace in the third quarter, helping set the tone.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
Ferrari’s Home Hopes Checked Whilst Ferrari had set the tone in FP1, their flashes of brilliance ultimately weren’t enough to challenge for the top spot.
—Kanzah Maktoum, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
And our guys set the tone for us early, got the run game going and kept me clean all night.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set the tone
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Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025
Not showing up on the score sheet is the way Williams began to pick up the pace in the third quarter, helping set the tone.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
Ferrari’s Home Hopes Checked Whilst Ferrari had set the tone in FP1, their flashes of brilliance ultimately weren’t enough to challenge for the top spot.
—Kanzah Maktoum, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
And our guys set the tone for us early, got the run game going and kept me clean all night.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set the tone
Cite this Entry
“Set the tone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/set%20the%20tone. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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