I'm pretty sure my old car's owner's manual specifically said that engine braking effect can be increased by downshifting the automatic gearbox to a lower gear in the manual mode. Current car's owner's manual says to release the accelerator when approaching red lights to "take advantage of engine braking" and since it's a hybrid, it also does regen.

There's also quite a few different ways to make an automatic gearbox, such as double-clutch gearboxes.

There's always the handbrake.