be brief with somebody

Hannah had got Allan's message; she'd returned his call, but he'd been brief with her.

Normally, such hearings are brief, with evidence offered in summary form and any testimony taken quickly.

The wine list is brief, with wines by the glass for $3 to $4.

Their tenure as police officers was brief and fraught with disaster.

His goodbyes had been brief with no mention of their meeting again.

Trials are usually brief, often with scant opportunity for defense, and death sentences have been common.

The conversation was brief, with Marasco doing most of the listening.

The fighting between the two sides was brief, with few casualties on either side.

The messages they brought were worryingly brief, with no sign of the slave army within their range.

I will be very brief with my second point.