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
Megan TomasicAny downtick in the ever-expanding economy is likely to make commercial real estate lenders nervous about financing new projects …—Dane Huffman
Dane Huffman2
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
Thomas LepriExamples of downtick in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The figure also reflects a downtick in the overall U.S. unemployment rate, which fell to 3.5% during the same period, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows.
—Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 17 May 2023
Boston health officials, who urged people to keep taking precautions despite the city’s downtick in COVID-19 numbers, have recommended that people wear masks indoors, including on public transportation, even though the city is only at a medium level on the CDC map.
—Ryan Huddle, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Aug. 2022
An additional 136,525 coronavirus vaccinations were administered in Illinois on Thursday as the state reported another slight downtick in the seven-day coronavirus positivity rate.
—Dan Petrella, chicagotribune.com, 23 Apr. 2021
But the 57% who supported stricter gun laws in the latest poll marks a downtick from the 66% who supported stricter gun laws following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas late last May.
—Dakin Andone, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for downtick
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 17 May 2023
Boston health officials, who urged people to keep taking precautions despite the city’s downtick in COVID-19 numbers, have recommended that people wear masks indoors, including on public transportation, even though the city is only at a medium level on the CDC map.
—Ryan Huddle, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Aug. 2022
An additional 136,525 coronavirus vaccinations were administered in Illinois on Thursday as the state reported another slight downtick in the seven-day coronavirus positivity rate.
—Dan Petrella, chicagotribune.com, 23 Apr. 2021
But the 57% who supported stricter gun laws in the latest poll marks a downtick from the 66% who supported stricter gun laws following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas late last May.
—Dakin Andone, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for downtick
Cite this Entry
“Downtick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downtick. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share