play the devil with
To cause great trouble or distress to.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“This bad weather is playing the devil with my travel plans.”
“The constant technical errors are playing the devil with our team's ability to finish the project on time.”
“The sudden economic downturn played the devil with the company's long-term investments, forcing them to liquidate several major assets.”
- 01
blue devils
Low spirits; depression.
- 02
child's play
Something particularly easy or simple.
- 03
dance with the devil
To engage in risky and immoral behavior.
- 04
devil dancing
Risky, reckless or potentially immoral behavior.
- 05
devil in disguise
A person or thing that appears to be good, honest, or upstanding, but is inherently nasty, evil, or damaging.
- 06
devil lies in the details
Synonym of devil is in the details.
- 07
devil's advocate
One who debates from a viewpoint which one may not actually hold, usually to determine its validity or simply for the sake of argument.
- 08
devil's luck
astounding good luck.
Last updated August 10, 2026