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
Captain Ampadu set the tone by splitting promotion bonuses equally and continues to drive standards.
—
Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
MacIntyre's opening round of 62 had set the tone of the $20M event.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
First as the ingénue in Aerosmith’s music videos, then as Cher Horowitz in Clueless, Silverstone set the tone for a decade’s style and schoolgirl ’tude.
—Air Mail, 16 Aug. 2025
Brandon Atchison, an all-league defensive lineman, led the team in sacks last season and is expected to set the tone on defense.
—David Delgado, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set the tone
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Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
MacIntyre's opening round of 62 had set the tone of the $20M event.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
First as the ingénue in Aerosmith’s music videos, then as Cher Horowitz in Clueless, Silverstone set the tone for a decade’s style and schoolgirl ’tude.
—Air Mail, 16 Aug. 2025
Brandon Atchison, an all-league defensive lineman, led the team in sacks last season and is expected to set the tone on defense.
—David Delgado, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 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 23 Aug. 2025.
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