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
And these were the same Giants that one night earlier played what manager Bob Melvin called the best game of the year, a 5-0 win in which Logan Webb very much set the tone with seven innings of shutout ball.
—
Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024
The European Union, meanwhile, has already ratified a provisional agreement setting AI rules that could set the tone for how other countries acts next.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
The Prince and Princess of Wales set the tone with their first joint appearance of 2023 and took selfies with staff, volunteers and visitors after opening the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital last January.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
In the sixth inning, Anderson took the ball and set the tone.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
Charter set the tone last year with its 12-day blackout of Disney channels including ESPN and ABC.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
The team’s resounding victories in the opening two rounds set the tone before impressive wins over No. 5 Gonzaga and No. 2 Tennessee booked the team’s spot in the semifinals, the program’s first since 1980.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
The songs set the tone immediately for Bey’s foray into country music with Cowboy Carter, although the 32-time Grammy winner cautioned fans ahead of its release not to put the album in a box.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 29 Mar. 2024
This set the tone for a productive session with one positive idea sparking another.
—Ellie Victor, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024
The European Union, meanwhile, has already ratified a provisional agreement setting AI rules that could set the tone for how other countries acts next.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
The Prince and Princess of Wales set the tone with their first joint appearance of 2023 and took selfies with staff, volunteers and visitors after opening the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital last January.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
In the sixth inning, Anderson took the ball and set the tone.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
Charter set the tone last year with its 12-day blackout of Disney channels including ESPN and ABC.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
The team’s resounding victories in the opening two rounds set the tone before impressive wins over No. 5 Gonzaga and No. 2 Tennessee booked the team’s spot in the semifinals, the program’s first since 1980.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
The songs set the tone immediately for Bey’s foray into country music with Cowboy Carter, although the 32-time Grammy winner cautioned fans ahead of its release not to put the album in a box.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 29 Mar. 2024
This set the tone for a productive session with one positive idea sparking another.
—Ellie Victor, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'set the tone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Set the tone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/set%20the%20tone. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
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