The phrase "a briefer than expected" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing something that is shorter in duration or length than what was anticipated.
Example: "The meeting turned out to be a briefer than expected, allowing us to finish our work early."
Alternatives: "shorter than anticipated" or "more concise than expected".
When Radiohead announced its new album, "The King of Limbs," last month, it did so in the high-tech, media-smart way its fans have come to expect: a brief note online, followed by a rush when the songs were made available for download a day earlier than expected.
A bigger fall than expected.
Because of travel delays, we arrived a day later than expected, getting to the property at the unseemly hour of 7 30 A.M. The manager, who personally greets each guest, was expecting us, and after a brief tour, left us to sleep in the sun on our pool deck.
Start at a higher number than expected.
So a brief rally when JP Morgan unveiled better than expected earnings soon petered out.
McGraw-Hill has begun holding talks with Apollo Global Management over a potential sale of its education unit, though any deal might yield less than expected, a person briefed on the matter said on Tuesday.
WALL STREET JOURNAL McGraw-Hill Said to Be in Talks With Apollo Over Sale of Education Unit | McGraw-Hill has begun holding talks with Apollo Global Management over a potential sale of its education unit, though any deal might yield less than expected, a person briefed on the matter said on Tuesday.
But Northern Ireland's two-time major winner McIlroy was among those who managed only a brief practice before the weather closed in earlier than expected, forcing a first-day closure for the first time since 2003.
The 205-to-217 vote was far closer than expected and came after a brief but impassioned debate over citizens' right to privacy and the steps the government must take to protect national security.
More recently, people briefed on the state of negotiations have noted real progress, along with an optimistic whisper that a deal might be completed sooner than expected, perhaps by July 4. The sides met again Wednesday in Maryland, and one person briefed on the negotiations described both parties as having their respective "noses to the grindstone".
