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Meaning of play the devil with | Babel Free

Verb CEFR C2

Definitions

To cause great trouble or distress to.

colloquial, idiomatic

Examples

“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.”

CEFR level

C2
Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.
See all C2 English words →

See also

play the dickens with play the field play the fool play the game play the gender card play the giddy goat

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