downtick
noun
down·tick
ˈdau̇n-ˌtik
plural downticks
1
: a small decrease, decline, or downward trend
Pennsylvania saw a slight increase in traffic-related fatalities last year despite a national downtick, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.—Megan Tomasic
Any downtick in the ever-expanding economy is likely to make commercial real estate lenders nervous about financing new projects …—Dane Huffman
2
finance
: a stock market transaction at a price below the last previous transaction in the same security
… the New York Stock Exchange forbids short sales on stocks whose last trade was lower than the previous trade. However, that rule, widely cited by journalists as an absolute proscription on shorting on a downtick, only applies to NYSE stocks.—Thomas Lepri
compare uptick sense 2
Cite this Entry
“Downtick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downtick. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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