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
These foundational pieces set the tone for everything else.
—
Jodie Cook, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Johnson succeeds in jamming Schumer Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) set the tone for this week’s shutdown showdown, unveiling the stopgap Saturday, selling it to his conference Monday and muscling it through his razor-thin majority Tuesday.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
These early moments can set the tone for the entire season.
—Buddha Lo, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Gordon set the tone with the Nuggets’ wildest heat check of the season.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for set the tone
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Jodie Cook, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Johnson succeeds in jamming Schumer Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) set the tone for this week’s shutdown showdown, unveiling the stopgap Saturday, selling it to his conference Monday and muscling it through his razor-thin majority Tuesday.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
These early moments can set the tone for the entire season.
—Buddha Lo, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Gordon set the tone with the Nuggets’ wildest heat check of the season.
—Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 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 Mar. 2025.
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