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
Regardless of what his actual stats are, the Hurricanes need their veteran quarterback to set the tone.
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Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 14 Nov. 2025
This week, a court in Munich ruled that ChatGPT violated German copyright laws by reproducing lyrics from nine popular songs, a landmark win for rights society GEMA that could set the tone for European litigation over AI training data.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025
In fact, a fun and whimsical email invitation can set the tone for a laid-back, but still perfectly memorable event.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 13 Nov. 2025
The splashy opening helped set the tone for the ceremony and also showed who some of the major stars of the night are.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set the tone
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Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 14 Nov. 2025
This week, a court in Munich ruled that ChatGPT violated German copyright laws by reproducing lyrics from nine popular songs, a landmark win for rights society GEMA that could set the tone for European litigation over AI training data.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025
In fact, a fun and whimsical email invitation can set the tone for a laid-back, but still perfectly memorable event.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 13 Nov. 2025
The splashy opening helped set the tone for the ceremony and also showed who some of the major stars of the night are.
—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 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 19 Nov. 2025.
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