How to Use tone-setter in a Sentence

tone-setter

noun
  • The résumé says starter and the tape says tone-setter.
    — Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
  • His propensity to work counts is a tone-setter.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Guerrero is a tone-setter for this offense, and his struggles at the plate have been a key reason for the slide.
    — Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
  • There’s no nasty tone-setter or difference-maker on the defense.
    — Mike Jones, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Sunderland have long since taken grip of a game that remains a tone-setter and a mood-changer.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026
  • Lynch said Jones is the perfect tone-setter for this Mount Carmel edition.
    — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
  • On defense, the Luke Hughes contract was a tone-setter.
    — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Trotter is a downhill, heavy-handed tone-setter with real pedigree.
    — Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
  • Out now, the first episode serves as a tone-setter with a conversation from Troxler and Patrick on their own.
    — Katie Bain, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
  • Here’s their first corner of the season, in a 0-0 home draw against Crystal Palace, very much a tone-setter.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
  • The first-team All-Trinity League selection is a tone-setter for the defense.
    — Dan Albano, Oc Register, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Greenlaw, a 2019 fifth-round pick, spent his first six seasons with the 49ers and was a defensive tone-setter.
    — Eric Branch, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Downs is a tone-setter, while Lawrence and Barham give the Cowboys two high-upside pass-rush pieces at a premium position.
    — Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
  • That was exactly the kind of tone-setter Arlington Catholic aimed for, understanding the urgency at hand.
    — Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Center Aaron Brewer, who established himself as a true team leader in his second season with the Dolphins, was the tone-setter.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
  • As the Bears try to build up their offense around Fields, general manager Ryan Poles and his staff believed Wright could be a tone-setter on the line.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The games are underway, and even if the Detroit Tigers’ 20-3 loss to the New York Yankees in the Grapefruit League opener wasn’t the riveting tone-setter fans might have dreamed of, spring training is a long process.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
  • But the tone-setter is senior guard Elizabeth Amoroso who was just named Daily News Athlete of the Week for her recent performances this postseason, which included a playoff game with nine assists and another with 15 points.
    — Tarek Fattal, Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tone-setter.' 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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