In Synonyms^x, English grammar^x

Hi. I am writing a report for a class and am looking for a synonym to replace the phrase "better than expected". In other words, a study was done and the results were not great but they were better than expected.

In Philippine English, "officemate" is a synonym of "colleague" or "coworker" but it's not even listed in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. I think it's not bad to coin a new English or English-like word everywhere in the world as long as the word is understandable for most English...

The problem with English is that what is considered correct grammar in American English may not be ok in British English and vice-versa. In Philippine English, "officemate" is a synonym of "colleague" or "coworker" but it's not even listed in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. British: I...