blood on hands

H

have blood on one’s hands
or blood on your hands

Meaning

• be responsible for somebody’s death
• to be the reason why someone maybe dead
• to be guilty of killing someone
• to cause grievance injuries to someone
• could also refer to an incident where someone’s blood was on someone else’s hands

Example Sentences

1. This politician, who looks so successful and empathetic now has the blood of many people on his hands from the time that riots took place under his orders.
2. People with blood on their hands do not stand a chance in our efficient justice system. They are persecuted as per their crime.
3. She has no knowledge of working in the kitchen. She cut herself with a knife and while dressing her wound I got her blood on my hands.
4. The prime minister’s blood is in the hands of her assassinator’s hand.
5. The lady was jailed for having blood on her hands but she wrote in her autobiography that she was absolutely innocent.
6. The backers of these riots have the blood of many hundreds of lives on their hands.

Origin

The origin is based on the literal meaning of having blood on hands when someone commits the crime of killing someone. It is a popular phrase seen in suspense novels and thriller movies. The serials which are about crime investigations also have this phrase used quite popularly.

Blood