<p>Synthetic dyes are major environmental contaminants due to their persistence, toxicity, and resistance to conventional treatment methods. Although phytoremediation is widely recognized as an eco-friendly strategy for dye removal, its underlying plant-mediated mechanisms remain insufficiently synthesized. This review integrates current knowledge on the physiological, biochemical, and rhizospheric processes involved in plant-mediated dye remediation. Plants remove or transform dyes through a series of interconnected processes including surface adsorption, uptake and phytoaccumulation, enzymatic degradation, sequestration within plant tissues, and rhizosphere-mediated microbial degradation. Both aquatic macrophytes and terrestrial plants have demonstrated significant capacity for dye removal via these integrated mechanisms. Understanding these interactions provides valuable insight into phytoremediation as a sustainable strategy for mitigating dye pollution. It also identifies key directions for improving remediation efficiency.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>