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make mischief

Idioms  
  1. Cause trouble, as in Don't listen to her gossip—she's just trying to make mischief. This idiom was first recorded in 1884, but the related noun mischief-maker, a person who causes trouble especially by tale-bearing, dates from about 1700.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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“I see no evidence of interest by the Supreme Court to make mischief here,” said Vikram David Amar, the dean of the University of Illinois College of Law.

From New York Times Jun. 27, 2023

But anyone hoping to sign up to get a say in who will be the next prime minister - or to make mischief with the process - is out of luck.

From BBC Jul. 14, 2022

When Mama Frog ordered her son to play nicely on a hillside, he would instead head to the riverbank to make mischief.

From Salon Jun. 14, 2022

He was a father who arrived home with flair, stepping in from the garage and shouting, “Hello to my little family-amily,” but he also had a look stern enough to make mischief wither.

From Seattle Times Jan. 23, 2022

She was a woman who liked to make mischief, and preferred to leave sorrow rather than joy behind her.

From The Pagan's Cup by Fergus Hume

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