But such excuses ring increasingly hollow for most of us now.
These arguments ring hollow because they misunderstand the mode of responsibility in question.
"Soon," he said, but the bluff rang hollow even in his own ears.
The words rang hollow even as he spoke them.
And the laughter rang very hollow in the end.
"It rings hollow unless there is a policy response."
"I suspect a claim like this is going to ring very hollow."
But it will ring hollow if we do not follow with a statement of our own.
It was flush with the wall and rung hollow when knocked upon.
His mea culpa now rings hollow and is too late.
Idiome