mitigate ˈmi-tə-ˌgāt verb
1. lessen or try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
2. make less severe or harsh
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The word mitigate has appeared in 511 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on March 18 in “Levi’s, Whose Jeans Are a Rugged Symbol of Americana, Prepares to Go Public” by Sapna Maheshwari:
The maker of denim and Dockers, which traces its roots to the California Gold Rush, Levi’s will start trading on the public markets on Thursday for the second time in its 165-year history. The listing is a milestone for Levi’s, which has experienced a resurgence in the past decade, overhauling its image, operations and the stretch in its jeans to resonate with today’s shoppers who are increasingly disposed to athleisure wear.
… One of the biggest challenges that Mr. Bergh and Levi’s have faced in recent years has been the boom in the all-mighty yoga pant. Coresight Research said in a recent report that United States imports of women’s elastic knit pants surpassed imports of women’s blue denim pants in 2017. Levi’s has mitigated some of that issue with the stretch it added to its jeans.
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