defend vs vindicate

defend and vindicate both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
defend	No	No	Yes	No
vindicate	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, vindicate is a hyponym of defend; that is, vindicate is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than defend:

defend (verb)	vindicate (verb)
argue or speak in defense of	show to be right by providing justification or proof
state or assert	clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting proof
be on the defensive; act against an attack	maintain, uphold, or defend
protect against a challenge or attack
protect or fight for as a champion
fight against or resist strongly
be the defense counsel for someone in a trial