ring false

Idioms  

1. Also,; strike a false note. Seem wrong or deceitful, as in Her denial rings false—I'm sure she was there when it happened, or His good wishes always seem to have a hollow ring, or Carol's congratulatory phone call really struck a false note. Ring false and the antonym, ring true, which means “seem genuine,” allude to the old practice of judging a coin genuine or fake by the sound it gives out when tapped. This practice became obsolete when coins ceased to be made of precious metals, but by then the idioms were being used to refer to other matters. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

For example, it neglects to show the good side of social media alongside its dangers, he says, and some details – including the secret emoji codes one character claims children use – ring false.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2025

How can I improve my thank-you notes without making any statements that would ring false considering our friendly but not intimate relationship?

From Slate • Jan. 3, 2019

That fact alone makes dichotomies such as 'real world' and 'digital world' ring false — for many, game-playing is the real world.

From Nature • Mar. 29, 2016

No matter how he says it, the words ring false.

From New York Times • Mar. 17, 2016

The words come out hollow, they ring false, but without looking into his eyes, I can’t tell why.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins