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
The first point of the game really set the tone and is arguably one of the shots of the year.
—
Ben Church, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Mahomes set the tone for Worthy with their deep 37-yard connection early, but the two vintage Mahomes throws came later — a fade in the second quarter to Travis Kelce and his fourth and final touchdown to Hollywood Brown in the fourth quarter.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
Within three minutes of kick-off, Tyler Adams had set the tone with a tackle that sent his opponent 6ft into the air and plummeting to Earth head first.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
The Alaïa fall 2025 collection set the tone, inspiring a new wave of fluid, goddess-like silhouettes.
—Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set the tone
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Ben Church, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Mahomes set the tone for Worthy with their deep 37-yard connection early, but the two vintage Mahomes throws came later — a fade in the second quarter to Travis Kelce and his fourth and final touchdown to Hollywood Brown in the fourth quarter.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
Within three minutes of kick-off, Tyler Adams had set the tone with a tackle that sent his opponent 6ft into the air and plummeting to Earth head first.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
The Alaïa fall 2025 collection set the tone, inspiring a new wave of fluid, goddess-like silhouettes.
—Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 25 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 30 Sep. 2025.
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