At the close the Dow was 0.1% lower at 19,918, the broader S&P 500 was down 0.2% at 2,260 and the Nasdaq was 0.4% lower at 5,447.
With a 2% fall, Wal-Mart was one of the big losers.
Investors stepped back from a recent rally fueled by optimism that President-elect Donald Trump will invigorate economic growth.
Analysts said the market appears to be winding down before the holiday period.

Inderjit Singh Dhariwal, 49, was injured at Samsons in Rood End Road, Oldbury, in the early hours of Sunday.
Nicolas Salhan, 36, of Haybridge Avenue, Stourbridge, and Jonathan Davies, 42, from Old Bridge Walk, Rowley Regis, have been charged.
They are due to appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 30 November.
Mr Dhariwal, of Oldbury, was taken to hospital in a critical condition but died on Monday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average continued to back away from Tuesday's record close.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
Two men have appeared in court and been charged with murder following the death of a man who suffered serious head injuries at a banqueting venue.