exploit vs maximise

exploit is a noun but maximise is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
exploit	Yes	No	Yes	No
maximise	No	No	Yes	No

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

Other hyponyms of exploit include maximize, harness, mine, quarry, overexploit, commercialize, milk.

exploit (noun)	maximise (noun)
a notable achievement

exploit (verb)	maximise (verb)
use or manipulate to one's advantage	make as big or large as possible
draw from; make good use of	make the most of
work excessively hard