tone-setter
noun
: a person or thing that determines or establishes a quality, feeling, or attitude
I like to use the joke as a tone-setter for my speeches.
Examples of tone-setter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The soundtrack is built from widely recognizable classic rock songs, and the opening title sequence (with a theme written by Abrams himself) is a snazzy tone-setter clearly inspired by Hot Wheels.
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Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 May 2025
Suggs has become a defensive tone-setter and locker room leader whose toughness sets the tone for the rest of the roster.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2025
During his time at Ohio State, Ransom was a tone-setter in the secondary.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2025
The 30-year-old Jones is the unquestioned tone-setter of the group.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Ovechkin scored two goals, assisted on another and generally acted as the tone-setter in Washington’s 3-2 overtime win over Montreal at Capital One Arena.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
In addition to that trio, rookie defenseman Lane Hutson is a tone-setter and a record-setter.
—Steve Silverman, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Upon his arrival in the spring of 2022 at age 36, Golden needed a tone-setter to help establish expectations — and ultimately a standard of excellence.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
Senior shooting guard Alijah Martin, the tone-setter for a defense ranked 11th in efficiency by KenPom, was left off the coaches’ All-All-Defensive team.
—Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2025
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Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 May 2025
Suggs has become a defensive tone-setter and locker room leader whose toughness sets the tone for the rest of the roster.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2025
During his time at Ohio State, Ransom was a tone-setter in the secondary.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2025
The 30-year-old Jones is the unquestioned tone-setter of the group.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Ovechkin scored two goals, assisted on another and generally acted as the tone-setter in Washington’s 3-2 overtime win over Montreal at Capital One Arena.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
In addition to that trio, rookie defenseman Lane Hutson is a tone-setter and a record-setter.
—Steve Silverman, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Upon his arrival in the spring of 2022 at age 36, Golden needed a tone-setter to help establish expectations — and ultimately a standard of excellence.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
Senior shooting guard Alijah Martin, the tone-setter for a defense ranked 11th in efficiency by KenPom, was left off the coaches’ All-All-Defensive team.
—Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tone-setter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tone-setter. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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