like a ton of bricks

Very heavily, without subtlety. For example, If he doesn't like your work, he'll come down on you like a ton of bricks. This expression, often coupled with come down on (def. 1), replaced the earlier thousand of brick or hundred of brick. The allusion in all these is to the considerable weight of such a load. [Early 1900s]

Words nearby like a ton of bricks

like a drowned rat, like a fish out of water, like a house afire, like a lamb to the slaughter, like a shot, like a ton of bricks, like anything, like as not, like as two peas in a pod, like clockwork, like crazy