spice up vs modify

spice up and modify both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
spice up	No	No	Yes	No
modify	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, modify is a hypernym of spice up; that is, modify is a word with a broader meaning than spice up:

Other hypernyms of spice up include alter, change.

spice up (verb)	modify (verb)
make more interesting or flavorful	make less severe or harsh or extreme
add herbs or spices to	add a modifier to a constituent
	cause to change; make different; cause a transformation