ring hollow
idiom
: to seem untruthful or insincere
Their promises ring hollow.
His apology rang hollow.
Examples of ring hollow in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Syria's interim government has promised accountability, but the promises ring hollow as militant factions operate freely.
—
Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
All offseason long the Red Sox have spoken about the need to act with urgency to restore the club to its place as a perennial contender, but after five years of falling short those words were beginning to ring hollow with many fans.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2025
Yet these complaints ring hollow in the mouths of a commentariat that spent the election season boasting that Kamala Harris’s centrism was working.
—Matthew Karp, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
And Steichen’s inability to effectively communicate regarding the direction of his team — and more specifically its young quarterback — has made his words ring hollow to many fans.
—James Boyd, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ring hollow
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Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
All offseason long the Red Sox have spoken about the need to act with urgency to restore the club to its place as a perennial contender, but after five years of falling short those words were beginning to ring hollow with many fans.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2025
Yet these complaints ring hollow in the mouths of a commentariat that spent the election season boasting that Kamala Harris’s centrism was working.
—Matthew Karp, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
And Steichen’s inability to effectively communicate regarding the direction of his team — and more specifically its young quarterback — has made his words ring hollow to many fans.
—James Boyd, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ring hollow
Cite this Entry
“Ring hollow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ring%20hollow. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
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