When it comes to expressing the idea of "almost," "pretty much" is a useful phrase. However, it's always good to have a few synonyms at your disposal to keep your writing or speech from becoming too repetitive. Some other common phrases with a similar meaning include "more or less," "nearly," "virtually," "practically," "almost," "essentially," "basically," "in essence," "fundamentally," "roughly," and "approximately." These can be used interchangeably with "pretty much" to convey the idea that something is not quite absolute but is very close. Expanding your vocabulary to include synonyms like these can help you communicate more effectively and make your writing or conversing more interesting and varied.