Crossword Genius

At the bitter end, throes can be briefer (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

shorter

'briefer' is the definition.
('short' can be a synonym of 'brief')

'at the bitter end throes can be' is the wordplay.
'at' says to put letters next to each other.
'end' says to take the final letters.
'can be' is an anagram indicator.
The final letter of 'bitter' is 'r'.
'throes' anagrammed gives 'shorte'.
'r' put after 'shorte' is 'SHORTER'.

(Other definitions for shorter that I've seen before include "Lower in stature" , "More limited in duration" , "Brusquer" , "More lacking in length" , "Not so tall" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.