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.

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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

How to use play the devil with in a sentence

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I assure you, no matter how beautifully we play any piece, the minute Liszt plays it, you would scarcely recognize it!
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But I hope at least to play to him a few times, and what is more important, to hear him play repeatedly.
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Sleek finds it far harder work than fortune-making; but he pursues his Will-o'-the-Wisp with untiring energy.
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Thus was the man left entirely to the devil, not even his life being reserved, as in the case of Job.
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He desired his secretary to go to the devil, but, thinking better of it, he recalled him as he reached the door.
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