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
A day-night doubleheader Monday will set the tone for the entire series.
—
Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Better yet, leaders who model this behavior set the tone for their teams.
—Suresh Rajapakse, Forbes.com, 14 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
That first night in the church set the tone for the week in more ways than one.
—Jalil Johnson, Refinery29, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set the tone
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Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Better yet, leaders who model this behavior set the tone for their teams.
—Suresh Rajapakse, Forbes.com, 14 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
That first night in the church set the tone for the week in more ways than one.
—Jalil Johnson, Refinery29, 13 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 5 Sep. 2025.
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