recognize vs come up to

recognize and come up to both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
recognize	No	No	Yes	No
come up to	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, come up to is a hypernym of recognize; that is, come up to is a word with a broader meaning than recognize:

Other hypernyms of recognize include accost, address.

recognize (verb)	come up to (verb)
perceive to be the same	speak to someone
be fully aware or cognizant of
accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority
express obligation, thanks, or gratitude for
express greetings upon meeting someone
detect with the senses
grant credentials to
show approval or appreciation of
exhibit recognition for (an antigen or a substrate)