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 Tuesday-njght games will help set the tone for even bigger efforts.
—
Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
His dominance set the tone early, while Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts added crucial insurance runs late to seal the victory.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Ralph Lauren set the tone with an exclusive Diwali event at The Nilaya Anthology in Mumbai, hosted in collaboration with the Aditya Birla Group, the brand’s retail partner in India.
—Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2025
Leaders set the tone by modeling composure, adaptability and balance.
—Elan Gepner-Dales, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set the tone
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Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
His dominance set the tone early, while Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts added crucial insurance runs late to seal the victory.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Ralph Lauren set the tone with an exclusive Diwali event at The Nilaya Anthology in Mumbai, hosted in collaboration with the Aditya Birla Group, the brand’s retail partner in India.
—Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2025
Leaders set the tone by modeling composure, adaptability and balance.
—Elan Gepner-Dales, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 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 24 Oct. 2025.
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