bowdlerize vs abridge

bowdlerize and abridge both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
bowdlerize	No	No	Yes	No
abridge	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, abridge is a hypernym of bowdlerize; that is, abridge is a word with a broader meaning than bowdlerize:

Other hypernyms of bowdlerize include abbreviate, contract, cut, foreshorten, reduce, shorten.

bowdlerize (verb)	abridge (verb)
edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate	reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
	lessen, diminish, or curtail