From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhave the/a ring of somethinghave the/a ring of somethingTRUEif a statement or argument has a ring of truth, confidence etc, it seems as if it has this quality His explanation has the ring of truth. → ring
Examples from the Corpus
have the/a ring of something• Lies by their nature have the ring of truth.• Some stories have a ring of truth, if a little exaggerated: They do fit the known biography.• Thinkers, like the aforementioned, gained status because they suggest answers that have the ring of truth. 