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play the devil with

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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having or claiming to have the power of seeing objects or actions beyond the range of natural vision.
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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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.