play the devil with
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Upset, ruin, make a mess of, as in This weather plays the devil with my aching joints, or Wine stains play the devil with a white tablecloth. This allusion to diabolical mischief is heard more in Britain than in America. [Mid-1500s] Also see the synonym play havoc.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
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Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Words nearby play the devil with
play second fiddle, PlayStation, playstreet, playsuit, play-the-ball, play the devil with, play the field, play the fool, play the game, play the heavy, play the market
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.