Despite the company's promises of support, when the crisis deepened, the manager completely washed his hands of the matter, leaving the employees to face the consequences alone.What does the underlined idiom mean?

Explanation

The idiom 'washed his hands of the matter' means to avoid taking responsibility for something, especially after having previously promised support. In the context of the sentence, the manager's actions demonstrate a complete disregard for the consequences faced by the employees, indicating that he chose not to get involved further. The other options do not capture this meaning: Option A discusses physical cleansing, which is unrelated; Option C suggests taking responsibility and apologizing, which is the opposite of the idiom's meaning; and Option D implies innocence, which does not reflect the abandonment of responsibility.