MITIGATE

To make less severe, intense, harsh, rigorous, painful, etc.; to soften; to meliorate; to alleviate; to diminish; to lessen; as, to mitigate heat or cold; to mitigate grief. To make mild and accessible; to mollify; -- applied to persons. [Obs.] This opinion ... mitigated kings into companions. Burke.

To reduce, lessen, or decrease and thereby to make less severe or easier to bear. | To downplay. | To give force or effect toward preventing a problem.

Mitigated, alleviated.