got 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. pastsimple past of get one's hands dirty
  2. participlepastpast participle of get one's hands dirty
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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