have blood on hands

have someone's blood on one's hands 

1. Lit. to have the blood of some other person on one's hands. He fell and got a terrible cut and now I have his blood on my hands as well as my shirt.

2. Fig. to be responsible for someone's death; to be guilty of causing someone's death. The teenager's blood was on the policeman's hands. The king's blood was on the hands of the murderer who killed him.

See also: blood, hand, have

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have blood on your hands  also have somebody's blood on your hands

to be responsible for someone's death The leaders of this war have the blood of many thousands of people on their hands.

See also: blood, hand, have

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have blood on your hands

to be responsible for violent injuries or deaths If you are honest about this situation, both sides have blood on their hands.

Related vocabulary: have somebody/something on your hands

See also: blood, hand, have