They only care about their interests and their moral claims don't withstand scrutiny.

[alpacinou]

I want to say someone's claim is weak. Can I use "withstand scrutiny" and "hold water" in this context? Are these okay?

1. They only care about their interests and their moral claims don't withstand scrutiny.
2. They are only concerned with their own interests and their lofty moral professions don't hold water.

 

[Tarheel]

In both cases you are talking about somebody's pretentions. I would use "outrageous" in both cases.

If something doesn't hold water it's a claim that lacks the evidence needed to support it. However, in this case you would not be offering the evidence you would normally expect -- thus my choice.

 

[alpacinou]

I'm not sure what you mean. Are you saying the two sentences don't work?

 

[jutfrank]

I may be being too picky, but I personally don't think moral claims can 'withstand scrutiny'.

Please remind us of what you're trying to do. Are you trying to practise using the phrases 'withstand scrutiny' and 'hold water' by inventing your own example contexts? Or are you looking for the right vocabulary to express what you mean? I presume it's the former, right?

 

[alpacinou]

I may be being too picky, but I personally don't think moral claims can 'withstand scrutiny'.

Please remind us of what you're trying to do. Are you trying to practice using the phrases 'withstand scrutiny' and 'hold water' by inventing your own example contexts? Or are you looking for the right vocabulary to express what you mean? I presume it's the former, right?

Yes, it is the former. So, are you saying the first one doesn't work and the second is okay?

 

[jutfrank]

I'm saying that you have to make your goals known to us by changing the way you ask your questions.

I want to say someone's claim is weak. Can I use "withstand scrutiny" and "hold water" in this context?

Can you see from the way you've asked the question that we might think that you have a thought in mind that you're trying to express?. This is not what you mean to ask. You actually mean to ask something like this:

I'm practising my vocabulary accuracy of the phrase 'withstand scrutiny' by writing example sentences.

They only care about their interests and their moral claims don't withstand scrutiny.

Do you think this sentence is a good illustrative example of the meaning/use of the phrase?

That's what you want to know, right? If you don't tell us what you're trying to do, many of us are simply going to provide you with alternative ways to word the sentence, likely without using the relevant phrase at all. That's what has typically been happening for years now.

 

[Tarheel]

I'm not sure what you mean. Are you saying the two sentences don't work?

That's right. I don't think those phrases work in those sentences.

Feel free to disagree.