play the devil with

play the devil with (third-person singular simple present plays the devil with, present participle playing the devil with, simple past and past participle played the devil with)

1. (colloquial) To cause great trouble or distress to.

   Synonyms: play the cat and banjo with, play merry havoc with, play merry hell with, play Old Harry with, play the deuce with, play the dickens with, play the mischief with

   • 1937, Rupert Penny, The Talkative Policeman, page 166:

     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.