The phrase "play hob with" means to cause trouble or chaos. There are several synonyms for this phrase, including "mess up," "disrupt," "throw off," "derail," "interfere with," and "upset." These words can be used interchangeably to convey the same meaning of something causing an unexpected disturbance or mishap. For instance, if a power outage were to "play hob with" someone's morning routine, it could also be said to "disrupt" their usual schedule or "throw off" their plans. Understanding these synonyms can help add variation and precision to our language use and better convey our intended meaning.