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

But this also means the show’s attempts to tell truer, richer stories about the kinds of women who were mostly left out of the movie — and of many other movies and series — often ring false, coming across as jarring anachronisms, like the show’s use of mumble-humor and “epic.”

From New York Times

And given the hypernaturalistic trappings, some details ring false.

From New York Times

Their protests ring false, of course, but revealingly so: Despite recent backsliding, democracy is still such a popular concept around the world that even despots feel they must pay lip service to it.

From Washington Post

“Our goal is to not have it ring false to fans. And although ‘Talladega Nights’ was funny, that’s not at all the tone we’re going for,” he said.

From Seattle Times