extenuate vs rationalise

extenuate and rationalise both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
extenuate	No	No	Yes	No
rationalise	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, rationalise is a hypernym of extenuate; that is, rationalise is a word with a broader meaning than extenuate:

Other hypernyms of extenuate include apologise, apologize, excuse, rationalize.

extenuate (verb)	rationalise (verb)
lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of	weed out unwanted or unnecessary things
	remove irrational quantities from
	think rationally; employ logic or reason
	defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning
	structure and run according to rational or scientific principles in order to achieve desired results