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
Noah Whittington set the tone offensively with 125 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries while also catching a touchdown pass, while Dante Moore finished 15-of-20 for 290 yards and four scores.
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Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Adebayo set the tone from the start, scoring 18 of the Heat’s first 25 points on Friday.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
Music is essential to set the tone of the event.
—Shelby Wax, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2025
Rahquel Purcell, Chief Transformation Officer, North America at L’Oréal Groupe, delivered keynote remarks that set the tone for the spirit of the day.
—Essence, 22 Oct. 2025
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Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Adebayo set the tone from the start, scoring 18 of the Heat’s first 25 points on Friday.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
Music is essential to set the tone of the event.
—Shelby Wax, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2025
Rahquel Purcell, Chief Transformation Officer, North America at L’Oréal Groupe, delivered keynote remarks that set the tone for the spirit of the day.
—Essence, 22 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 28 Oct. 2025.
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