play the devil with en · VERB
Meanings
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(colloquial, idiomatic) To cause great trouble or distress to.
There's a silly young fool; but perhaps it's not entirely his fault. The last six months of the war played the devil with many an unformed character.
1937, Rupert Penny, The Talkative Policeman, page 166:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| plays the devil with | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| playing the devil with | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| played the devil with | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| played the devil with | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Synonyms
play the mischief with · play the dickens with · play Old Harry with · play the cat and banjo with · play merry hell with · play merry havoc with · play the deuce with