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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Looking for festive Christmas flannel sheets to set the tone of your bedroom or a guest room?
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Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025
All-Americans Stowers (10 kills, six digs, two service aces) and Lednicky (11 kills, seven digs, two blocks) set the tone all afternoon for the Aggies.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 21 Dec. 2025
But Feder wrote that Applegate also set the tone for the rest of the Chicago market, with other stations taking their cues from CBS Chicago's new style.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
Instead, Head set the tone, driving on the up with Weatherald still removing his pads in the pavilion.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
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Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 22 Dec. 2025
All-Americans Stowers (10 kills, six digs, two service aces) and Lednicky (11 kills, seven digs, two blocks) set the tone all afternoon for the Aggies.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 21 Dec. 2025
But Feder wrote that Applegate also set the tone for the rest of the Chicago market, with other stations taking their cues from CBS Chicago's new style.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025
Instead, Head set the tone, driving on the up with Weatherald still removing his pads in the pavilion.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 17 Dec. 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 29 Dec. 2025.
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