spit out vs cough up

spit out and cough up both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
spit out	No	No	Yes	No
cough up	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, cough up is a hypernym of spit out; that is, cough up is a word with a broader meaning than spit out:

Other hypernyms of spit out include cough out, expectorate, spit out, spit up.

As verbs, spit out and cough up are synonyms defined as:

spit out and cough up: discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth

Other synonyms of spit out include cough out, expectorate, spit up.

spit out (verb)	cough up (verb)
spit up in an explosive manner	discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth
discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth	give reluctantly
utter with anger or contempt