play havoc

Idioms  

1. Also,. Disrupt, damage, or destroy something, as in The wind played havoc with her hair, or The fire alarm raised havoc with the children, or The earthquake wrought havoc in the town. The noun havoc was once used as a command for invaders to begin looting and killing, but by the 1800s the term was being used for somewhat less aggressive activities. For a synonym, see play the devil with.

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Example Sentences

The unemployment rate in the information-technology job market increased to 3.8% in April from 3.6% in March—reflecting an ongoing uncertainty in tech as AI continues to play havoc with hiring.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

To begin, while official data is back online following the end of the government shutdown, release delays, calendar quirks, and holiday anomalies continue to play havoc.

From Barron's • Dec. 5, 2025

Besides the toll the system takes on veterans, vacancies in apartment units reserved for veterans play havoc with the bottom lines of subsidized buildings that were financed on the basis of guaranteed revenue from vouchers.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2025

Their working patterns are known to play havoc with the body's rhythms, raising the risk of disease.

From BBC • Oct. 4, 2022

If she and her cronies from the College kitchens could get as far as Abingdon, they could play havoc with the weir....

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman