Would Set the Tone?

: 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.

What is the word for setting the tone?

Verb. Set the mood. establish a mood. establish the mood.

Is set the tone an idiom?

To establish the mood of something, or the manner in which something will be conducted. Her warm greeting really set the tone for the dinner party, which was one of the loveliest I have ever attended.