The cranial nerves IX, X, and XI pass through which skull opening?

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The three nerves form a bundle that exits the skull together through the jugular foramen. This opening sits at the junction of the temporal and occipital bones at the base of the skull, in the posterior cranial fossa. The glossopharyngeal nerve, the vagus nerve, and the spinal accessory nerve all pass through this foramen as they leave the cranium, and the internal jugular vein (plus some meningeal vessels) runs through it as well. That shared exit is what makes the jugular foramen the correct passage for these nerves.

For contrast, the foramen magnum is where the medulla and spinal roots of the accessory nerve enter or exit, not the main exit for IX and X. The foramen rotundum carries the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve, and the foramen ovale carries the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve.