play havoc

to cause total chaos or disorder

TRANSLATION

verwüsten, zerstören

STATISTICS

IN THE PRESS

"In my opinion the movie was relatively true to the book's ideas, although it played havoc on the book's plot and characters."

(Helge Moulding - Movie Review: Starship Troopers - May 2001)

Did you
know?

Did you know?

Havoc has 2 meanings:

1. Widespread destruction; devastation.

2. Disorder or chaos

To play havoc means to create disorder or disruption, as in "the electric generator played havoc with our television reception"

Havoc is from Middle English, from Anglo-Norman (crier) havok, (to cry) havoc, variant of Old French havot, plundering, which is of Germanic origin.

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