Verb

(mitigat)

To reduce, lessen, or decrease.

* 1795 —

Measures are pursuing to prevent or mitigate the usual consequences of such outrages, and with the hope of their succeeding at least to avert general hostility.

* 1813 —

But in yielding to it the retaliation has been mitigated as much as possible, both in its extent and in its character...

* 1896 —

Then they tell us that vaccination will mitigate the disease that it will make it milder.

* 1901 — , ch 7

Then I discovered the brilliance of the landscape around was mitigated by blue spectacles.

* 1920 —

The plague had not been kind to him, yet had left him this small furry thing to mitigate his sorrow; and when one is very young, one can find great relief in the lively antics of a black kitten.

To downplay.

Verb

(en verb)

(intransitive) To say something in return; to answer; to reply.

to respond to a question or an argument

To act in return; to exhibit some action or effect in return to a force or stimulus; to do something in response; to accord.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2012-01

, author=Robert M. Pringle , title=How to Be Manipulative , volume=100, issue=1, page=31 , magazine= citation , passage=As in much of biology, the most satisfying truths in ecology derive from manipulative experimentation. Tinker with nature and quantify how it responds .}}

(ambitransitive) To correspond with; to suit.

* Fairfax

For his great deeds respond his speeches great.

To satisfy; to answer.

The prisoner was held to respond the judgment of the court.