getting one's hands dirty

A form of get one's hands dirty — To get involved with the unpleasant parts of a task, such as manual labor or unethical activities.

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Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of get one's hands dirty
Cite this entry
APA

getting one's hands dirty. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/getting%20one's%20hands%20dirty

MLA

“getting one's hands dirty.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/getting%20one's%20hands%20dirty. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “getting one's hands dirty,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/getting%20one's%20hands%20dirty.

Source: getting one's hands dirty on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.